A colleague said something to me last week that stopped me... He had known me for years, talked with me on HR related challenges, the usual and he had no idea I speak at events, run executive workshops, or lead retreats. “You need to tell us at least three other things you do,” he said, “apart from HR.” He was right. I've spent most of my career behind the scenes. Building things quietly. Fixing what was broken before anyone noticed it was broken. That's the job, and for a long time, it was...

Pre-M&A Reality Check – Part 5 of 5 This is the final installment of the Pre-M&A Reality Check series. And it ends where most deals actually fall apart, not in the model, not in the negotiation, but in the execution. The plan existed. It was documented, reviewed, and approved. What didn’t exist was readiness. Payroll errors surfaced in the first pay cycle and trust collapsed immediately. HR wasn’t assigned an integration role until after close — creating a 30-day leadership vacuum at the most...

The financial model was sound. The strategic rationale was compelling. The due diligence was thorough. And then the two organizations tried to actually work together. What happened next is something I’ve witnessed across more transactions than I can count: productivity dropped 20 to 40 percent. Decision cycles tripled. Cross-functional alignment broke down within 90 days of close. And two cultures collided and stayed that way. No one modeled that. And no one saw it coming. Why you may ask —...