People-focused tactics for successful integration
“It's simple – people drive businesses,” says Nobuhle Ncube. As part of the founding team of BrightWolves SA, a leading management consulting firm headquartered in Brussels, she would know…
In the high-stakes world of M&A, so much of the deal focus is on the financial, legal and operational details. Even though the success or failure of these deals post-transaction hinges on something far more nuanced: the people on the ground.
NOBUHLE’S KEY INSIGHTS SUMMARISED
People are the core of M&A success. M&A deals often fail because they overlook the employees who drive the business. If employees aren't engaged or informed, the risks of resistance and attrition rise.
Communication is essential. Clear, consistent communication is crucial during M&A. It helps reduce employee fear and uncertainty, ensuring alignment with the merger’s objectives.
Cultural integration is key. Cultural differences can derail a merger if not addressed. Respecting and integrating different work cultures is critical to avoid employee resistance and ensure a smooth transition.
Claire: Let’s kick off with a bit about your background and how you found yourself working in the M&A space…
Nobuhle: I’ve spent most of my career in three main areas: advertising and marketing, business intelligence, and strategy. I was in advertising and marketing for a long time, on both the client and agency sides. Later in life, I got into business intelligence and analytics, studying it at Berkeley. Strategy has been a constant throughout my career, advising companies on both internal and external matters. Now, I focus a lot on management consulting, particularly in the M&A space.
Claire: Without a doubt, your blended background gives you a very unique vantage point from which to comment on the gaps in M&A. So let’s start with the basics: how do you define the Human Side of M&A?
Nobuhle: I would define the human side as everything that isn’t templated or structured. The hard parts of M&A—legal, tax, commercial aspects—are well-defined with set procedures. The human side involves the interconnectedness between people, systems, and getting outcomes that aren’t predefined. It’s messy and complicated, which is why people tend to avoid it. In my experience, the human side is where most M&A deals stumble. People often behave as though businesses are just organisms independent of the people who run them. But if you can’t get the people in the business to drive the integration, the deal falls apart. Communication is like a spider’s web—it connects everything, but if one part breaks, the whole structure collapses.
Claire: M&A deals often go belly up at their most fundamental level: with the people on the ground. Why do you think this happens?
Nobuhle: In most businesses, you can’t achieve anything without the people. Many M&A deals fall apart because the integration plan ignores the reality that employees are the ones who need to make the new company work. Everyone focuses on legal and commercial due diligence, forgetting that the value they’re acquiring is actually driven by humans. If employees aren’t engaged or informed, they’ll resist change or simply leave. And when that happens, the company loses the very asset that made it valuable in the first place.
Claire: What a crazy thing to overlook - that people underpin every single aspect of every single part of business. Why do you think we place so little significance on the people side of M&A?
Nobuhle: I think it's because we’ve misdiagnosed the source of shareholder value. Lots of people look at mergers through the lens of tax, legal, and financial metrics, assuming that the people behind the business are just an afterthought. But if you can't get the people on board, the integration process suffers. What’s often ignored is the cultural context, the communication required, and the buy-in needed from employees. Everyone pays attention to the technical aspects, but without the people to drive the integration, the deal simply won't succeed.
Claire: To pick up on the practicalities of how to tackle integration, what role do you think communication plays in the success or failure of an M&A?
Nobuhle: Communication is everything. It’s like the glue that holds the different parts of a merger together. I’ve seen deals where the communication was fragmented—different departments sending different messages—and it caused complete chaos. Employees were confused, rumors started circulating, and the sense of uncertainty spread. When communication is handled well, it’s consistent, transparent, and tailored to each group of stakeholders. It should answer the fears employees have, show them the benefits of the merger, and provide a clear roadmap of what’s to come.
Claire: You’ve worked on a lot of post-merger integration projects and I’m sure you’ve seen the good, the bad and everything in between. What’s the biggest mistake companies make during this phase?
Nobuhle: One of the biggest mistakes is thinking the human side will just take care of itself. Leaders assume that once the systems and processes are in place, employees will fall in line. That’s not how it works. Another mistake is underestimating how much employees have invested emotionally in their work. I’ve seen cases where teams spent years developing a product, only for it to be discontinued after the merger with no communication. This creates resentment and disengagement. Companies need to communicate the why behind their decisions, and more importantly, listen to their employees during this transition.
Claire: What are the risks of communication breakdowns during an M&A and other periods of major transformation?
Nobuhle: In one of my current projects, we’re helping a company where employees had their company name changed three times in four years. The uncertainty amongst them was palpable. What we did was implement some basic communication and addressed their concerns about the future. Once employees had clarity, that fear started to dissipate. When there’s poor communication about the changes, it leads to disengaged employees, rumours and attrition. There’s uncertainty, and when people don’t have clear answers, they create their own narratives. This is especially dangerous in the context of M&A because employees may feel insecure about their jobs, their roles, or how they fit into the new organisation. That kind of anxiety is bad for business.
Claire: Let’s look at the flip side - what opportunities come up from handling the human side of M&A correctly?
Nobuhle: When the human side is done right, employees feel secure, motivated, and engaged. It’s not just about getting people excited—sometimes, it’s about simply reducing their fear. In one of my current projects, we’re helping a company that’s had its ownership change three times in four years. Employees are exhausted from the constant disruption. By focusing on clear, consistent communication and addressing their concerns, we’re helping them find stability. Once you reduce fear and uncertainty, employees can focus on their work, which leads to better business outcomes. In the long run, this engagement translates to increased productivity and profitability.
Claire: How can buy-side companies measure the success of their communication efforts during a merger?
Nobuhle: One way is to introduce simple metrics like Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for employees. It helps you gauge how employees feel about the company and their role within it. The key is to measure things that directly tie into shareholder value—like whether employees feel they have the tools and support they need to perform their jobs. To influence decision-making at a board level, it’s important to create identifiable, actionable metrics that show leaders the direct impact of communication on business outcomes. NPS is a way of giving leadership a real understanding of the human pulse during a merger.
Claire: Do you have any advice on how to approach cultural differences between merging companies?
Nobuhle: Cultural differences are often overlooked but are essential to address. You might have teams that have spent years working in a certain way, with their own set of values, and now you’re asking them to change overnight. That’s where things can go wrong. We need to understand and respect these cultural nuances and find ways to integrate them. Communication is critical here—without it, employees will resist the change.
WRITTEN BY CLAIRE KEET