Be clear about the reasons for the divestiture and be ready to explain it in terms that reassure employees, customers and suppliers. Work through a product road map to understand the ripple effect of a divestment on other parts of the company. Decide on the level of visibility of the de-coupling process. Pay attention to ownership of intellectual property, particularly when the divestiture is an IPO spin-off rather than a sale. Consider a management services contract to stagger the decoupling process and smooth the transition.
Many smaller acquisitions involve the integration of founder-controlled businesses.
Founders have usually been made wealthy by the sale of their business, with the result money has limited motivational effect. Excited by a fun or interesting job that sits outside the traditional big-company hierarchy. The key to successfully keeping a founder engaged is to tailor a role that harnesses their unique interests in the service of the company. Absorption into a larger business can also have a distinctive effect on the employees of a founder-controlled business. The loss of their CEO can engender feelings of grief and anger.