In 2009, I passed by a pet shop, saw him in the window, and came out with shop with him in my arms. No planning was involved. Love at first sight it was. Pure infatuation.

George lived the “life of Riley”. He got many chunks of food from the table directly from my plate in addition to his first class dog food. He also ate the best of treats.

We had many long walks on the beaches of Eilat and Tel Aviv. He got his own beach chair in which he lounged, switching from time to time to in his chair, under his chair, or on my stomach. At the beach in Eilat, they knew me and offered me two chairs, “one for George”, when I arrived.

When he was younger, he would join me on my 10 km runs. We played Frisbee for hours and when a Frisbee got caught in a tree, we immediately got a brand new one, returning to play the next day. He got us into trouble several times. On one of his walks with me on the beach in Herzelia, he swallowed a fishing hook, which had to be extricated in an operation that afternoon. George and another dog once traded snarls and George’s opponent took a mighty piece out of my leg which took 2 months to heal. And to boot, George went head to head with a local canine bully, and lost! Several stiches and panic galore.

George was the very best of friends and my love for him will always be abounding. We spent 16 years and 4 months together. The time I spent with George was a welcome exhilarating topping to my life.

The last few months George was not himself. He developed canine dementia, sore legs, poor eyesight if any, no hearing, and had trouble standing up.

Georgie, I am so sorry I did not act earlier. The biggest gap is not between life and death, but life and a good life.

George led a very long and happy life.

I held him in my arms, and said, “toda yeled”…thank you boy.

Then Dr Yuval did what he had to do-and now I need to forget his last moments so that the memory of our loving friendship  will be with me as long as I am around.

On the poem by Lord Byron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So,_we%27ll_go_no_more_a_roving

Internal OD/Training people are dealt a poor deck of cards at the start of their career.

Their boss, the HR manager, holds little power when compared to peers, be it Marketing, Finance or Sales.

These new internals are generally younger, female and have never managed anything of any complexity.

And let’s face it, most of the time, people do NOT trust HR people.

I have trained generations of people in this position; here is the essence of the focus that I suggest.

1. Avoid over (any) involvement in the “Performance Appraisal” ritual process. Of course, it’s not possible to totally circumvent some role, like skill training. But make sure not to be High Priest of this religion.
2. Pay close attention to problematic interfaces, and not under performing people. Interfaces (sales and presales) (Finance and Purchasing) that suddenly start to creak less provide you with lots of exposure.
3. Do not serve company cool aid. Stay away from the sacraments of the company’s values, mission statements and other verbiage. Focus on what does not work-not on peddling sublime verbiage.
4. Make your HR manager part of YOUR client system.  (Example, streamline the recruiting process) If the HR manager is not your client, buy a shovel and dig a hole.
5. Hire very skilled consultants to do important work, not the cronies you studied with at community college. A very skilled consultant will not only do good work, but also help you get better jobs as your career develops. Your HR manager will not generally do that.
6. Talk to people; do not interview them. Stand next to people as they do their job and have them explain it to you. Do not sit and hide behind your laptop.

After an acquisition, the bean counters step aside and the value they hoped to create often starts falling apart.

There are many possible reasons for that; in this post I want to address one salient reason: the middle managers of the acquiring company start to bully and mess around with the middle management of the acquired company.

• Example from VP of marketing to VP of Marketing in acquired company: the presales material is not up to our standards; please submit all future material for review before posting on web site.
• Or take this example from Head of Travel to Travel Coordinator of acquired site:  your employees must fly out the same night that work ends, this being the case until 23.00 at night. The airline of choice is the cheapest airline available. All ticket purchases to be done 8 days in advance.

And I could go on and on.

Why does this bullying occur? Clearly some of it is merely clarifying lose ends left over from the acquisition. But that’s the least of it.

For the middle management of the acquiring company, an acquisition is often a pain in the ass: working at strange hours (getting up at 6 am to speak to an Australian); or listening to hard to understand accents (Thai, Japanese, Chinese). The middle management of the acquiring firm may need to manage arguing Israelis, Taiwanese or Dutch, passive aggressive Indonesians, or “apparently obedient” Thais. Often the middle management of the acquiring company need to make a power grab to insure their own job security, lest they lose their jobs to better skilled counterparts. And often-it’s just a pissing contest.

But worst of all, there is a mindset of “I acquired you” so “do what I tell you”, as if the middle manager has acquired the asses with his own “stifa” (Hebrew slang for wad of money).

So, what is to be done?

That, dear readers, is another post.

התעמרות במנהלים בדרג הביניים אחרי רכישות (או מיזוגים)

אחרי רכישה, רואי החשבון מפנים את הבמה — ומהר מאוד הערך שכולם קיוו ליצור מתחיל להתפורר.
יש הרבה סיבות לזה, אבל כאן אני רוצה להתמקד באחת מהבולטות שבהן: מנהלי הביניים של החברה הרוכשת מתחילים להתעמר, או פשוט “לשגע”, את מנהלי הביניים של החברה שנרכשה.
כמה דוגמאות מהשטח:
סמנכ״ל שיווק של החברה הרוכשת לסמנכ״ל שיווק של החברה הנרכשת:
“החומרים השיווקיים שלכם לא עומדים בסטנדרטים שלנו. מעכשיו כל חומר עתידי צריך לעבור אישור לפני שמפרסמים אותו באתר.”
ראש תחום נסיעות לרכזת נסיעות של האתר שנרכש:
“העובדים שלכם צריכים לטוס הביתה באותו לילה שבו מסתיימת העבודה — גם אם זה עד 23:00 בלילה. נטוס רק עם חברת התעופה הזולה ביותר, והכרטיסים יוזמנו שמונה ימים מראש.”
והרשימה עוד ארוכה.
למה זה קורה בכלל?
חלק מזה הוא באמת צורך לסגור פינות שנשארו פתוחות אחרי הרכישה — אבל רוב זה לא שם.
עבור מנהלי הביניים של החברה הרוכשת, רכישה היא לרוב כאב ראש אחד גדול:
פתאום צריך לעבוד בשעות משונות (למשל לקום ב־6 בבוקר כדי לדבר עם אוסטרליה),
או להבין מבטאים קשים (תאילנדים, יפנים, סינים).
לפעמים צריך להתמודד עם ישראלים, טאיוואנים או הולנדים ישירים מדי, עם אינדונזים פסיביים־אגרסיביים, או עם תאילנדים שנראים צייתנים — עד שהם לא.
בנוסף, יש גם פחד: מנהלי הביניים של החברה הרוכשת חוששים לאבד את המשרה שלהם לעמיתים מוכשרים יותר מהחברה הנרכשת, ולכן הם מנסים “להראות מי הבוס” כדי לבסס שליטה.
ולפעמים, אם נהיה כנים — זה פשוט קרב אגו אחד גדול.
אבל הגרוע מכל הוא הלך הרוח של “אני זה שרכש אותך, אז אתה תעשה מה שאני אומר”, כאילו אותו מנהל ביניים קנה את האנשים בעצמו, עם הסטיפה שלו.
אז מה עושים עם זה?
זה כבר נושא לפוסט הבא

I’ve had the privilege of working on both human due diligence before acquisitions and post-merger integration projects. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way—headlines only, because each is a world unto itself:

• Set reasonable expectations for integration.. At best, acquisitions (aka mergers) are akin to a bad case in indigestion.

• During due diligence, you learn less than 30% of what you’re actually acquiring.

• Every company has a reason it’s being sold—and you might not know it until after the deal closes.

• Talk to executives who have left the target company; they often tell a very different  story than those who are still in the target company.

• Financial and marketing analysis alone? Not enough.

• Let’s call it what it is: an acquisition, not a merger.

• Weak links in your own company will haunt you later—a weak IT department becomes a post-acquisition nightmare.

• Decide fast. Poor decisions can be reversed; dithering is deadly.

• Trust and transparency are non-negotiable for success.

• Expect some lying during due diligence—and forgive once the deal is done.

• Face-to-face communication trumps Zoom every time. Get to know each other in person over the first 2–3 years.

• Post acquisition integration is often severely hampered by the middle management of the acquiring company bullying the acquired company’s middle management. Establish ground rules to prevent this.

• When purchasing a “client base” of a company, you’d better retain those people who manage the relationships with this client base.

Acquisitions are messy, human, and unpredictable. But the more you focus on people, speed, and trust, the smoother the journey becomes..

Remote and virtual teams are now a core feature of how many organizations operate. While they bring clear advantages — such as access to global talent and around-the-clock operations — they also face recurring structural and cultural challenges.
These challenges, often rooted in trust deficits, can limit collaboration, reduce efficiency, and weaken overall performance. This paper outlines three of the most common trust barriers and explores their impact on distributed team effectiveness.

1. Hidden Agendas and Power Imbalances

A frequent source of tension in remote teams involves control — specifically, who sets direction, which site plays the strategic role, and how influence is distributed across locations.

Over time, the sites perceived as more influential often secure the most strategic work, larger budgets, and stronger support from senior leadership. This creates a cycle where those sites grow in importance while others risk being marginalized, assigned only low-visibility or maintenance tasks.

Unchecked, these dynamics can lead to disengagement, reduced morale, and eventual downsizing of less favored sites. Addressing this requires deliberate governance structures, transparent decision-making processes, and an explicit commitment to equitable distribution of strategic responsibilities.

2. Limited Transparency Across Sites

Information sharing patterns in virtual teams frequently reveal a form of “local loyalty.” Teams tend to communicate openly within their own location but are less transparent across geographical boundaries.

This behavior often stems from a perception that information is a source of power. In some cases, teams may even view transparency as a weakness in the competitive dynamic between sites.
The result is siloed knowledge, duplication of effort, and missed opportunities for synergy.

Establishing cross-site transparency requires both structural and cultural interventions. Clear communication protocols, shared platforms, and leadership expectations around openness all help build trust and improve collaboration across locations.

3. Tension Between Differing Competencies

Remote teams are often distributed in ways that reflect different strengths and priorities. For example:

• U.S.-based sites may focus on market alignment.

• Israeli sites often emphasize innovation.

• Indian sites are known for flexibility and scalability.

• Japanese sites frequently specialize in deep customer intimacy.

While these competencies are valuable, they can also generate friction when priorities diverge. For instance, a site focused on fulfilling specific client requests may conflict with another emphasizing product roadmap consistency.

Addressing this tension requires intentional alignment around shared objectives. Leadership must ensure that each site’s strengths are recognized and leveraged in a complementary way, rather than allowed to become sources of division.

Conclusion

Improving individual performance within virtual teams is important, but it is insufficient if the broader organizational environment undermines trust. The challenges outlined above — hidden control agendas, limited transparency, and competing competencies — are systemic issues that require systemic solutions.

By addressing these trust barriers directly, organizations can transform remote and virtual teams from loosely connected groups into cohesive, high-performing units capable of sustained collaboration and innovation.

The Overuse of the Term “Trust”

The term trust has become so overused and broadly interpreted that it often loses its significance, particularly within the context of the global workplace. Because it means different things to different people, the concept of trust is frequently too vague to be useful in facilitating effective collaboration and mutual understanding.

Consider the following example that illustrates differing cultural perspectives. In many German professional environments, trust is closely associated with adherence to established processes. The prevailing logic is: “If you follow the process, I will trust you; once I trust you, I will follow the process.” This reflects a deeply procedural understanding of trust.

A contrasting example can be seen in interactions between Chinese and American business professionals. Imagine a scenario in which Mr. Wu and Mr. Smith sign a $40 million agreement. Subsequently, Mr. Wu asks Mr. Smith to employ his son for one year to enable him to obtain a U.S. visa. Mr. Smith interprets this request as unethical and, consequently, loses trust in Mr. Wu. Mr. Wu, on the other hand, feels that he extended a favor and now perceives Mr. Smith as untrustworthy for refusing to reciprocate. Both parties use the same term—trust—but with entirely different expectations and interpretations.

This illustrates how trust, much like other overused terms such as respect (a topic I have addressed in a previous post), can lose its meaning and practical value in intercultural and organizational contexts.

Through my years of consulting with thousands of professionals who have successfully built trusting relationships, I have developed ten principles that operationalize what trust truly means in practice. Three of these principles are shared below:

1. We accurately represent each other’s views when the other party is not present.

2. We follow through on the decisions we make together.

3. We assume positive intent in each other’s actions.

After a merger or acquisition, leaders often talk about “blending the best of both cultures.” It sounds ideal—but it’s not how culture really works.

In practice, culture doesn’t merge. It competes. One culture dominates—usually the acquirer’s—and the other adapts or fades. While this can feel Darwinian, it’s not necessarily negative. Integration needs clarity, consistency, and ultimately one cultural backbone.

That said, the acquired company can leave its mark. Over time, fragments of its values or practices may influence the larger whole. But always within the framework of the stronger culture.

So, where should leaders focus in the first year after a deal closes? Three things matter most:

1. Scalability: Capturing value from the deal requires scale. This need drives real cultural and operational change.

2. Power Structure: Build a loyal leadership group inside the acquired company. Resistance and clinging to autonomy slow down integration.

3. Mourning: Acknowledge that employees in the acquired company go through a grieving process. True integration happens when individuals, not groups, embrace the new identity.

For consultants, the lesson is clear: your role isn’t to engineer a “perfect cultural blend.” It’s to guide the natural process, like a midwife—helping transition with as little pain as possible.

Yes, there will always be glossy “culture-merging frameworks” on the market that promise quick fixes. But culture doesn’t integrate in three easy steps. It evolves—through alignment, leadership, and time.

קווין מרי, פינת דקארי

עזבתי את מונטריאול לפני 55 שנה, אך איני מצליח להוציא מראשי את קווין מרי, הפינה של דקארי. ואני אסיר תודה על כך.

בפינה הצפון-מערבית של הצומת הזה עמד הקיוסק שבו נהגה ננה סיידי לקנות את העיתונים האמריקאיים שלה, שכללו את ה”דיילי מירור”. מעולם לא שאלתי את סבתי הקטנה והקשישה, שנולדה במונטריאול וידיה היו מעוותות מדלקת מפרקים, מדוע קראה רק עיתונים מניו יורק. זה נותר תעלומה בעיניי.

באותה פינה ממש הייתה גם המסעדה של מיס סנודן, שבה ננה הייתה לוקחת אותי לארוחת צהריים. המנה האהובה עליי הייתה כבד עם פירה. הייתי מזמין בצרפתית, וננה, שכישורי השפה שלה היו אפסיים, תמיד אמרה לי שהיא גאה בי. “אני מתביישת מאוד שאני לא יודעת לדבר צרפתית”, היא הייתה אומרת לעיתים קרובות. “אבל גם אם הייתי מנסה – לא הייתי מצליחה ללמוד”.

מעבר לפינה הייתה חנות השוקולד, לורה סיקורד. אבא שלי סיפר לי אלף פעמים שלורה הייתה “שונאת יהודים מטורפת”. ננה הסכימה ואמרה שלמרות זאת, לורה סיקורד היא “השוקולד הכי טוב בעיר”. היא הייתה מזמינה כמה שקיות קטנות של ממתקים, כולל פקאנים מצופים בשוקולד.

בפינה הדרום-מערבית של דקארי וקווין מרי הייתה חנות תכשיטים בשם הוּל (Houle). זו הייתה חנות קטנה עם סחורה יקרה. סבתא שלי הייתה נוהגת להביט בחלון הראווה שם. כנראה שלא רק להביט – כי פעם אחת מונסייה הוּל בירך את ננה במילים: “בונז’ור מאדאם שוורץ, קומוֹ סָה וָה?”

חנות הבגדים של מוֹלִין הייתה בפינה הדרום-מזרחית של דקארי וקווין מרי. מוֹלִין הייתה שייכת לפיי זאק פורמן ליברמן, סבתי השנייה האהובה, הבריטית. חנות מוֹלִין נשדדה, וננה פיי איבדה הכול; הביטוח שלה פג שבוע לפני הגניבה. מאז הפכה להיות תלויה כלכלית בבנותיה, מה שלא הפריע לה לחיות כמעט עד גיל 100, תבורך נשמתה. עד היום אני יודע לחקות מבטא בריטי באופן מושלם.

בפינה הצפון-מזרחית של דקארי גרו פפה הארי וננה פיי – כלומר, חיו באותו דירה. לומר שהם “חיו יחד” זו הגזמה, ואפילו גדולה. פפה הארי נפטר כשהייתי בן 6, אבל אני זוכר את הדירה שלהם היטב. אני גם זוכר את גברת פוסטר, שגרה מול ננה פיי ופפה הארי. היא בטח הייתה בת יותר ממאה. ננה פיי תמיד קראה לה “הזקנה פוסטר”.

בסביבת הצומת של ריין מארי ודקארי היו ה”האוס אוף וונג”, חנות של מורי הפטס, רייטמן ו-וולוורת’ס.

התחבורה הציבורית של מונטריאול (MTC, היום CTM) הפעילה קווים רבים שעברו דרך הצומת הזה: קו 48 לסנט ז’ק (סנט ג’יימס); קו 17 לקרטיירוויל; קו 65 למרכז העיר מונטריאול; קו 19 לשכונת המפסטד. וגם קו 66. ועוד אחרים.

רופא השיניים שלי, ד”ר ווסברג, גם היה לו משרד באזור הזה, ממש ליד מיס סנודן. מגיל 8 הייתי הולך לשם לבד, נוסע בקווים 116 ו-17, עם החלפה בתחנת גארלנד. היו שני רופאי שיניים בשם ווסברג: קלרנס ופרד. פרד היה רופא השיניים שלי.

כן, פרד היה רופא השיניים שלי; פיי וסיידי היו הסבתות שלי, ועד 1970 מונטריאול הייתה העיר היפה שלי, שבעיניי עודנה תופסת מקום מיוחד בזיכרונותיי.

I left Montreal 55 years ago yet I cannot get Queen Mary, the corner of Decarie, out of mind. And I am very grateful for that.

On the North West corner of this junction stood the kiosk where Nana Sadie used to buy her American “papers”, which included the Daily Mirror. I never asked my petite elderly Montreal-born grandma, her hands gnarled by arthritis, why she only read newspapers from NYC. It remains a mystery to me.

On that same corner was Miss Snowden, the diner where Nana took me for lunch. My favorite dish was liver and mashed potatoes. I would order in French and Nana, whose language skills were zilch, told me she was so proud of me. “I’m very ashamed that I cannot speak French”, she often told me. “But I couldn’t learn even if I tried”.

Around the corner was the chocolate store, Laura Secord. My Dad had told me a thousand times that Laura was “a rabid anti-Semite”. Nana agreed and told me that Laura Secord is, nevertheless, the  “VERY best chocolate in town”. She would order a few small bags of goodies, including pecans covered with chocolate.

On the South West Corner of Decarie and Queen Marie was a jeweler (bijouterie) named Houle. It was a small store with expensive merchandise. My grandmother used to go window shopping there. Not only window shopping, apparently because one time, Monsieur Houle greeted Nana with, “bonjour Madame Schwartz, comment ca va?”

Moleen’s dress shop was on the South East corner of Decarie and Queen Mary. Moleen’s was owed by Fay Zack Foreman Liverman, my dear other grandmother, the British one. Moleen’s was robbed and Nana Fay lost everything; her insurance had expired one week before the theft. After that, she became financially dependent on her daughters, which did not interfere with her living to almost 100, bless her soul. To this day, I can imitate a British accent perfectly.

On the North East corner of Decarie, Papa Harry and Nana Fay lived, ie, lived in the same apartment. To say that they lived together is a stretch of the imagination, a big stretch to be honest. Papa Harry died when I was 6 but I remember their apartment pretty well. I also remember Mrs Foster, who lived opposite Nana Fay and Papa Harry. She must have been over one hundred. Nana Fay always called her “old Mrs Foster”.

In the vicinity of the Reign Marie et Decarie junction were The House of Wong, Morrie Hefts, Reitman and Woolworths.

The MTC (now called STM) had many buses passing thru this junction. The 48 to St Jacques (St James); the 17 to Cartierville; the 65 to downtown Montreal and the 19 serving Hampstead. And the 66. And others.

My dentist, Dr Vosberg also had his office in this area, right next to Miss Snowden. From the age of 8, I used to go there on my own, taking the 116 and 17, with a change at Garland station. There were two Vosberg dentists: Clarence and Fred. Fred was my dentist. He died only recently.

Yes, Fred was my dentist; Fay and Sadie were my grandmothers, and until 1970, Montreal was my home, a beautiful and elegant city, which I hold  in a special place in my memories to this day.