We've Been Acquired

Today we’re talking about Stay Interviews. In some companies, stay interviews are mandatory at certain intervals, in others they offer stay interview resources but don’t have specific requirements, and in others, nobody has ever uttered the words “stay interview.” A stay interview is a separate one-on-one call with your direct report that is focused on their needs and satisfaction, not their perfo...

During an M&A transition, the workplace dynamic quickly morphs into an absolute pressure cooker. Your slack notifications are buzzing at 9:00 PM, managers are making frantic, last-minute requests, and the unwritten expectation seems to be that everyone should work 60-hour weeks just to prove they deserve to keep their jobs. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.

The first week of an acquisition is an emotional rollercoaster. You’re dealing with frustrating town halls, anxious peers, and a complete lack of concrete answers from management. In moments like this, a voice inside your head might start whispering—or screaming— "Just quit! Open up LinkedIn, message a recruiter, and walk away before they can push you out!" Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com...

I love books because they give you different perspectives on things. Today’s book is Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America by Brendan Ballou. If you've been acquired by a private equity firm, this is a must read so you understand how things work to lessen the personal attacks you feel as your company is being acquired by private equity. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resou...

When your company gets acquired, you don’t just carry that stress in your laptop bag—you bring it right through your front door. It sits at the dinner table, and it keeps you awake at night. One of the hardest parts of corporate disruption isn't managing your boss; it's managing the conversation with the people who depend on you. This episode will give you tips on what to say to your famil...

Fear comes from the unknown. If you want to demystify the entity that just bought your employer, you need to step outside your internal corporate bubble and do some external intelligence gathering. It’s time to research the acquirer. This episode will give you tips on what to look for. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.

An acquisition creates an information vacuum. And because corporate leadership rarely fills that vacuum fast enough with concrete facts, human nature takes over. Rumors fill the void. This episode covers how to be a vault and not a megaphone, focusing on the facts, not rumors. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.

Asking questions in front of your peers and managers can be nervewracking, but I guarantee you aren’t the only one with the question. Some people show up to town halls or open office hours not to ask questions themselves, but to see what questions other people are going to ask. That may be from a “what are other people thinking that I should be thinking” perspective, or it could be purely for ente...

When you want to get information or an answer to something, it can be uncomfortable to ask. Your burning question may only apply to your situation (or you may think it only applies to you) and it may not be appropriate for the visible Q&A in the companywide town hall. Your supervisor can be a great resource for your burning questions. This episode gives you 23 questions that might be applicabl...

The mandatory company-wide Town Hall is M&A theater at its finest. You’ll sit through shiny slide decks, enthusiastic speeches from executives you've never met, and repeated assurances that "nothing is changing" and that this is a "win-win partnership for growth." This episode goes through what to do. Your job during the Town Hall isn't to blindly buy into the hype,...

Yesterday was the big announcement, and today reality is starting to sink in. The initial shock has evolved into a heavy, lingering sense of panic. You might feel a knot in your stomach when you log into Slack, or you find yourself staring blankly at your monitor, unable to focus on a single task. This episode touches on focusing on what you can control and what you can't. Visit www.wevebeenac...

The Day One announcement has happened. Maybe you got an ominous, last-minute calendar invite for an all-hands meeting, or maybe you opened your email this morning to a press release full of corporate buzzwords. Your company has been acquired. Don’t do anything impulsive. This episode will give you some tips on what you can do to stay calm focus on what you can control. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.c...

Welcome to the We've Been Acquired podcast, the show dedicated to helping you navigate the turbulent waters of workplace changes, mergers, and acquisitions. I'm your host, and today we’re looking at our new corporate reality through the lens of *The Reality of M&As for Everyday Employees*. Every single year, thousands of corporate deals close right here in the United States. In the fir...

It's the We've Been Acquired Mantra. Save this episode to be able to play it whenever you need it. Sometimes you need to step out of the office, take some deep breaths, and center yourself before you can go back into the office and be productive. Use it whenever you need to take a breath during a quick break. Go to www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.