News & views

I stumbled across this painting while visiting Halifax and found myself standing in front of it much longer than I expected. For those of who know me, know that I am an art enthusiast who takes great joy in interpreting art as it fits my current situation. In this case, I should probably apologize to the artist because I’m almost certain my interpretation has very little to do with what they intended. Then again, perhaps that’s the beauty of art. We all bring our own experiences with us, and sometimes the painting says more about the person looking at it […]

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If you ever want to understand an organization, don’t start by reading the project plan. Sit in on the first integration meeting instead. Within twenty minutes you’ll hear Finance talking about synergies, IT talking about systems, Operations talking about continuity, HR talking about people, and Sales talking about customers. It’s the same acquisition, but everyone is describing a different reality. The first few times I experienced this, I assumed people simply needed to communicate more clearly. Surely if everyone sat in the same room long enough, the misunderstandings would disappear and the project would naturally move forward. It seemed like […]

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Over the years, I have noticed that every major transformation seems to follow the same emotional timeline. It does not matter whether it is an ERP implementation, an acquisition, or another large organizational change. The project usually begins with optimism. People are excited about what is being built, the timeline feels achievable, and every challenge seems manageable because there is still plenty of time to solve it. The kickoff meetings are full of energy, people volunteer ideas, and someone inevitably says, “We’ve got this.” Then, somewhere along the way, the calendar quietly changes everything. The funny part is that the […]

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Every acquisition seems to end in a familiar way. The major milestones have been completed, the critical systems are working well enough to support the business, and the integration team is finally able to take a breath. After months of navigating difficult decisions, competing priorities, and the inevitable surprises that accompany every acquisition, there is a sense that the hardest part is finally over. It is usually at that point that someone suggests holding a lessons learned meeting before everyone disappears back into their day jobs. I have attended many of those meetings over the years, and they are almost […]

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A few days ago, I returned to my old high school to speak at the retirement celebration of one of my teachers. I had not walked those halls in thirty years. As soon as I stepped through the front doors, I felt something I was not expecting. It was as though time had folded in on itself. For a moment I was no longer a consultant, a doctoral candidate, a wife, or a mother. I was as early teen again, trying to figure out where I fit in the world. The school looked almost exactly as I remembered it. The […]

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One of the strangest things about acquisitions is how much time we spend evaluating the company we are buying and how little time we spend evaluating ourselves. I have sat through diligence processes where teams reviewed financial statements, technology platforms, customer concentration, contracts, operating processes, management capability, and enough spreadsheets to make even the most committed Excel person consider a career in pottery. Every risk is catalogued, discussed, scored, challenged, and placed neatly into some colour-coded document that gives everyone a brief sense of control. Then the deal closes, and suddenly the organization that spent months examining someone else’s weaknesses […]

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