When this large aerospace and defense contractor acquired a highly innovative small business technology company it wanted to integrate the new team as quickly and profitably as possible. They needed to do this in a non-threatening way and show immediate return on the investment.
Problem
The acquiring company has no experience with either this type of workforce or the lack of business discipline in an innovative technology environment. Following the acquisition it became clear that the company was being “too helpful, too quickly” as it tried to introduce process, procedures, customers, training, and new senior management all by the standards of a multi-billion dollar enterprise. It became clear that the things they valued most – the technical talent and their culture of innovation – could be lost. The fear of change, new rules, new bosses and loss of identity all began to take its toll.