Strategies for best of both

Best of both is one of the most frequently used phrases in post-merger integration but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Used well, it can describe a disciplined approach to integration in the context of mergers and acquisitions but without caution, it can lead to vague promises and the avoidance of difficult decisions. So when it comes to bringing strategies for best of both to life, what do we need to keep in mind and what are the common pitfalls? What are the opportunities and what can we do to step up to them? Here at Jarred Consulting, we think the perfect blend involves moving the needle in three key ways.

1. It’s less about balance and more about weighing

We’ve learned that the strongest integrations aren’t successful because they preserve everything that both legacy organisations value. They’re successful because leaders make disciplined choices about what genuinely supports the future strategy. It involves asking questions like:

• Which approaches genuinely support the future strategy?
• Which practices are operationally less strong but culturally important?
• Where does the acquired or merging business have strengths worth protecting?
• Where is neither legacy model right for the future?

In other words, the process is not so much about combining every legacy practice but reviewing both organisations in a mindful and deliberate way.

2. It’s less about congruence and more about coherence

Using judgement over sentiment may not be easy when emotions are running high and uncertainty is in the air. When this is the case, the temptation may be to pursue balance in the pursuit of fairness, but this doesn’t actually improve the speed, ease and outcome of integration. In reality, it can create other problems to deal with further down the line. Things like duplicated processes, inconsistent employee experience and unresolved tensions. It can lead to slow decision-making and even frameworks that look new on the outside but hide legacy thinking within. When things don’t fit well together after a merger, it paves the way for complexity at a time when you least need it.

3. For your people, it’s less about systems and more about culture

Systems harmonisation is not the same as people integration. Of course, systems matter; we’re not decrying them here, but on their own, they do not create:

• Trust.
• Shared leadership.
• Clarity around behavioural expectations.
• Confidence in the future.
• Consistent experience.

The most successful mergers and acquisitions use systems to support a clear people strategy but not as a substitute for one. Far from being soft or secondary, human dynamics are the key to post-merger integration success.

What these three key elements look like in action

In our work with one client, the ambition was not just to create an illusion of alignment but to build one high-performing, globally connected organisation with a unified people strategy. That meant connecting multiple workstreams:

• Values and behaviours.
• Leadership development.
• Talent mapping.
• Performance and succession.
• Reward and recognition.
• DEI and wellbeing.
• Systems and analytics.

The important thing to remember is that these are not separate HR initiatives; they’re one, integrated people engine. That’s when the process becomes scalable, credible and successful.

More than a phrase: how to develop strategies for best of both

When best of both is done well, it involves taking stock of what you have, what you need and where the gaps are. In a successful post-merger integration, there’s an element of letting go, taking brave new steps and making big decisions: none of which are easy. Some things will be worth preserving, others will evolve and sometimes a completely new approach will be needed. All in a way that avoids the difficulties of one side feeling absorbed and the other diluted. At Jarred Consulting, these real, practical and human issues are at the heart of our approach. So we work with clients to review people and talent processes in a way that is both commercially realistic and culturally thoughtful. Our goal is not to compromise for its own sake but to build a stronger, future-focused organisation with sound best of both strategies. Success in mergers and acquisitions is all about building on what’s gone before, laying the foundation for something new, while keeping tomorrow in mind. If this is a challenge your organisation is facing, we’d love to continue the conversation. What should leaders align within 100 days of a merger? We look at 6 areas you can’t afford to ignore.  We would love to hear your thoughts.