Really good questions – I have seen some examples where it has happened but has taken time for the individuals, who were competitors one day previously, to begin to trust their new colleagues, which is a natural reaction. Some are never able to beyond it, but for others, those with a more growth mindset, through time and learned experience they begin to trust, and even like, one another. The challenge has been in ensuring that the inevitable in between period doesn’t cause irreparable damage to existing supplier and customer relationships, and that leadership time is not wasted on the “lost causes”. To speed up the process ensuring there is time for the individuals to spend together and connect on more than a purely business level, and that trenches are not drawn on day 1 – integration planning is critical.
