The more time that passes between the announcement and the creation of a New Identity and corporate culture, the more challenging regaining footing becomes, whereas rapid focus on the new corporate identity through cross-company employee involvement builds employee engagement and commitment while enabling a positive, clear, energized image internally and externally. Starting this process at the pre-merger stage and staying with it through to integration not only recreates a new identity, but employees’ sense of belonging, motivation and focus are engaged.

While in most traditional M and A transactions loyalty is lost, the co-creation and collaborative development of the New Identity through employee involvement creates loyalty and commitment enabling the realization of a shared future. Instead of focusing on a sense of loss caused by the changes, a sense of belonging and community is developed. At the same time, cross-organizational networks and project teams are quickly established.  From this emerges a new, vibrant corporate culture, absorbing what is consistent and enabling the new direction and organization to emerge.