When organizational leaders can no longer achieve their goals through internal growth engines, they often embark on a merger or acquisition. Many of those transactions, however, falter when leaders fail to achieve the synergies they had expected, typically because of overvaluation of the target organization and a narrow focus on the closing. A significant portion of the blame also can usually be attributed to a misalignment with original deal drivers and a poor integration process. By employing a scalable playbook of tactics and tools to streamline processes, improve teamwork, bolster morale, and purposefully allocate resources, organizational leaders can stabilize their operations during times of change, ensuring the success of their merger and acquisition efforts in both the short and long terms. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.  Continue reading.....