Test whether a merger fit is real before anyone is committed, because most bad mergers are bad fits everyone wanted to believe in.
First in Merge or Be Acquired, with both organizations' leadership.
| Question | Honest answer |
|---|---|
| Do the missions truly align, or only sound similar? | |
| Would the combined organization serve better than the two separately? | |
| What does each side bring, and what does each side need? | |
| Are the cultures compatible enough to become one? | |
| Who would lead, and how would governance work? |
What would make this a no regardless of everything else?
A real fit shows genuine mission alignment, a combined organization that would serve better than two, compatible cultures, and a workable answer to who leads and governs. Strain on any of these is not fatal by itself, but it is what due diligence must examine hard. Name your deal-breakers now, while you can still see clearly, so momentum does not carry you past them later. Feeds the Due Diligence Checklist.
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