Integration Math and Music Balance

“Lastly, before I finalize an acquisition, my team puts together an integration playbook that’s a combination of “math and music”—hundreds of prescribed action points, but with room to be creative in response to the human part of the integration. Well in advance of closing, we’ve visualized every aspect of the process that will harmonize the acquired operation within our company. Every integration is an abstraction until you make it a reality, and there’s a great deal of satisfaction to be found in seeing that outcome come to fruition.”

“Overorganize A lot of mystique surrounds M&A integrations, but experience has taught me that it’s all quantifiable. When we acquire a company, the to-do list can stretch to hundreds or even thousands of tasks needed to make the integration work. My strong preference is to assign these tasks to individuals, not working groups. If we have one person owning each task and being accountable for achieving it on time, we’re more likely to succeed than if the task is owned by a group.”