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.

Lately, I’ve been immersed in the work of Philippe Bourgois, particularly his research on homeless heroin addicts. This is a natural continuation of my long-standing sociological and political interest in marginalized groups: the downtrodden, residents of housing projects, street gangs, mobsters, and petty criminals. My journey began years ago with Street Corner Society and Tally’s Corner, and Bourgois’ work is a powerful addition to this lineage.

Bourgois exposes fundamental flaws in public policy regarding the treatment of homeless heroin users. He critiques how the system handles everything from recurring abscesses to the misplaced obsession with preventing bloodborne diseases via shared needle use. His central argument is striking: these individuals need ongoing treatment—not cures.

He illustrates the futility of interventions aimed at ending needle sharing, for example, within a culture where sharing—and betrayal—are deeply intertwined. It’s not just addiction; it’s a social world with its own logic, codes, and contradictions.

In contrast to the profound dysfunction Bourgois describes among homeless heroin users, most organizations are not completely broken. Yes, a few may resemble the “deep pits of hell” he portrays, but most are not entirely dysfunctional. Still, all organizations carry some degree of incurable pathology.

These include chronic political infighting, ceremonial status shaming, bureaucratic numbness, narcissistic leadership, and more. Organizational Development (OD) professionals too often approach these issues with an air of misplaced certainty—as if they can be “cured” with the right tool or framework. This is misguided. Coping better? Yes. Solving or eradicating them? No. These pathologies are, by and large, permanent features of collective human endeavor.

Why? Because organizations are, at their core, groups of people coming together to get something done. This dependency naturally breeds anxiety, which manifests as dysfunction. The messiness—conflicts, inefficiencies, and political undercurrents—is the sawdust of collaboration.

At 76, I doubt many are eager to read long reflections like these—especially in an era of Gemini and ChatGPT, with their sleek, bite-sized wisdom. But if you’ve made it this far, here’s my core message:

Don’t try to “fix” organizational pathology. Focus on mitigating it.

This approach has guided my work for over 45 years and has served clients well. No new fad, framework, or tech revolution changes this truth.

Missile alarm- “again? won’t this ever end-continue watching TV and watering my plants”.
Missile alarm 2- this sounds serious, maybe I will check out what’s going on in the shelter. ok-I know. 3/4 of the building, kids playing and screaming, hot as witches’ tit and everyone looking at their cellphone. Going back upstairs.
Missile alarm 3 (middle of the night)- fuck them, I am going back to sleep.
Missile alarm 4 to 9- See #3
Next day-shooting pains in my gums, but not in the same area. Twitch in lips. Very bad itchy back. No “palpable” fear.
Missile alarm 10-in the shelter, daytime. Jesus H Christ, I wonder if the building fell. That was close.
Missile alarm 11-in shelter. “this ain’t no joke”. Still no fear but noise sensitivity developing.
Missile alarm 12-11pm. I am lying in bed. Horrendous fear; shaking from anxiety. It lasts 3-5 seconds, and then, off to sleep. Poor sleep. 3 hours. I am SO fucking tired.
For the rest of the war I am not fearful, just very tired and sensitive to noise. No patience. Anger easily.
It’s over. Itchy back for two more days. My dermatologist (Boaz) says that emotions can make scar tissue sensitive. (from BCC removal)
Then, finally, it’s all over. 9 hours of sleep.
Another beautiful day.

It is not easy to “catch up” on sleep during the day; the phrase “catching up”, if you ask me, does not apply to sleep.

And believe me, I wish it was possible.

Most nights, the following routine applies. Your phone emits a series of screeches warning you that within minutes that sirens will sound in your area. Alas, that is what happens, generally 5 to 10 minutes after the telephone heads up.
Then, you can either go to the shelter, or, stay put.

A few minutes later (7 to 10 minutes), massive booms are heard. These booms are either Iranian missles landing or Iron Dome/David’s Arrow taking the missiles out.
There are no words which can describe the noise. Ten minutes of waiting after which it is safe to leave the shelter. (I no longer go the shelter in the middle of the night.)
All this happens two or three times at night-at about 10 pm, 3 am and 5 am.
Today at 4pm, we had to enter the shelter at 4PM. Everyone looked gutted.
The main complaints in the shelter include poor wifi, weak fans, noise that children make, and sarcastic comments like “are we winning”?

I am an avid reader-but I cannot read in the last few days. However, my house is very clean. My closet is orderly. Everything is, “fix-fox”-in perfect order. I even ironed the shirts that I had made for me in Uganda.

My 16 year old dog, George,  is senile, so he walks very slowly, and often in circles. But he loves to eat and smell leaves. So, he gets about 6-7 outings a day. Or maybe, he is walking me.

I have relatives whose kids are in the service. They are nervous wrecks. Every incoming phone call, every knock on the door triggers fear.

As opposed to situations in the past, no one that I know questions the necessity of what is being done; left, right, centre, secular, religious, Jews, Arabs-wall to wall support for defanging Iran – albeit for very different reasons. Even the Turks support Israel, so that they can take an even bigger bite out of Syria. The most amazing part of this all is that the Jordanian air force downs missiles headed to Israel, Israeli jets fly to Iran over Syria and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, hasn’t even thrown a stone at us.

We are witnessing a total transformation of the middle east.

I just hope that this ends soon.

I need to get back to the gym.

A Boy Named Sue by the great unforgettable Johnny Cash  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z1Ple-qYuU&list=RD-Z1Ple-qYuU&start_radio=1&ab_channel=JohnnyCash-Topic