Ylang Nguyen, Director of Product Management at Paychex, discusses her insights on managing operational and cultural challenges during acquisitions. Emphasizing the importance of empathy, she draws a parallel between acquisitions and the anxiety of a child moving to a new school. By acknowledging the emotional complexities involved, she suggests product managers focus on what they can control. Ylang also highlights the advantage of integrating teams that share common cultural roots from the acquired company to preserve positive aspects and ensure a smoother transition.
Going through an acquisition is like being a kid who's moving to a new country and starting a new school - everything is different, and you're an outsider. While a lot of excitement comes with that, there's also a lot of anxiety for the individual.
I believe that common sense prevails in this case. To ensure a smooth transition, it's important to have empathy for the company (and people) being acquired. I would say this is a general rule for all product managers as well.
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