In the early stages of a merger or acquisition, everyone knows change is coming, but the direction isn't always clear. Employees suspect management knows a lot more than they're telling, especially if a merger springs up without prior warning.
Employees become suspicious and wary.
Seeds of isolation begin to sprout, and employees feel threatened by change and stop sharing information because they don't know who to trust. At the same time, internal communication grinds to a halt just when it's needed most. This happens for several reasons. In addition, mergers are often governed by lawyers and number-crunchers, increasing the risk of neglected culture and communication issues. Communications that DO go out are likely to be highly filtered and stripped of information that allows employees to continue working productively and customers to continue buying confidently.