We've Been Acquired

Alex Edith

Helpful tips for employees, managers, and senior leaders going through change at work, especially a merger or acquisition. M&A is messy, don’t let it break your career…. or you!

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27 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 3 min
English

Episodes 27

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Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S1 · E28
Friday · 8 min
DiSC Assessment
In this episode, we cover the DiSC assessment, which is a tool used to get to know yourself and your style at work. DiSC categorizes communication and work styles into four traits of a profile to improve self-awareness and team collaboration. The four traits are dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness, which make up the acronym DiSC. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E27
August 25 · 15 min
Prioritizing Onboarding Training
The company announcement was last week and this week has been a blur. You’re not only trying to keep all the balls in the air from your day job, but now you’re part of a new company and they’re welcoming you with webinars and in person meetings and training and information. All you want to do is get back to what you were doing last week, all of this stuff is so distracting!! This episode looks at prioritizing the new employee onboarding training for an acquisition or merger. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
August 20 · 5 min
We've Been Acquired Book
Why did I write the book, We've Been Acquired? I'll tell you the inspiration (and why I write under a pseudonym and have my friend voice these podcasts) in this episode.
S1 · E25
August 17 · 3 min
Your Value As a Professional
When a merger or acquisition threatens your job, it doesn't just threaten your bank account. For a very specific group of people, it feels like an existential threat to their actual right to exist. I’m talking to the perfectionists. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E24
August 13 · 1 min
Book Recommendation - Grief Recovery Handbook
In the corporate world, we use clinical terms like "synergy," "restructuring," and "redundancies." But what you are actually experiencing during a major acquisition is grief. The Grief Recovery Handbook teaches us that grief is the conflicting feeling caused by the end of, or change in, a familiar pattern of behavior. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E23
August 10 · 4 min
M&A Kills Promotions
It is one of the most agonizing, frustrating bait-and-switches in corporate life. You did everything right. You put in the extra hours, you hit your KPIs, and you had the explicit, verbal backing of your manager. You were told, "Next quarter, that new title and that raise are yours." You were practically at the finish line, ready to step into a new chapter of your career. And then, the acquisition announcement drops. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E22
August 6 · 4 min
Posting Layoff Messages on LinkedIn
The severance agreement is signed, your corporate laptop is locked, and you are officially on the outside looking in. Naturally, your next stop is LinkedIn. You open the app, and your feed is flooded with those boilerplate "Open to Work" announcements. You know the ones: the green photo frame, the long paragraph thanking the company for an "incredible journey," and a tag list of fifty coworkers. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E21
August 3 · 2 min
When Your Manager Leaves
It’s a text message or a sudden morning announcement that makes your stomach drop: your manager—the person who hired you, mentored you, and shielded you from corporate politics—is leaving the company. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E20
July 30 · 3 min
Inverse Survivor's Guilt - When You Get Laid Off
We need to talk about a very strange, deeply unsettling psychological twist that happens during a corporate acquisition. We’ve talked about survivor's guilt from the perspective of the person who kept their job. But what happens when you’re the one who got handed the cardboard box, ushered out the door, and given your severance package... and yet, you’re the one feeling guilty? Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E19
July 27 · 3 min
Survivor's Guilt
The calendar invite for the emergency morning meeting vanished, the Slack icons for half your team suddenly went grey, and the text messages started pouring in. The axe finally swung. But as the dust settles on a brutal round of corporate restructuring, you realize something jarring: you are still here. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E18
July 23 · 3 min
When Your Company Doesn't Provide Maslow's Two Foundational Commitments
In our last look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we talked about how a corporate merger instantly drops you down the psychological pyramid. Today, we need to talk about the worst-case scenario: what happens when the company actively strips away the bottom two tiers entirely? Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E17
July 20 · 2 min
Book Recommendation - The Four Agreements
When an acquisition happens, the office rumor mill goes into overdrive. Fear takes the wheel. Today, we are leaning on ancient Toltec wisdom to keep our sanity intact through The Four Agreements. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E16
July 16 · 3 min
Understanding Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs During Corporate Chaos
Have you ever wondered why an unexpected corporate merger can make you feel so entirely unhinged? Why is it that normally calm, hyper-rational professionals suddenly find themselves unable to focus, losing sleep, or feeling deeply resentful over seemingly minor changes to their routine? To understand this emotional tailspin, we have to look at a classic psychological framework: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E15
July 13 · 3 min
Managing Up: Checking In on Your Manager
During a merger or acquisition, it is incredibly easy to view our managers as the villains, the gatekeepers, or at the very least, all-knowing corporate robots who hold all the answers. We constantly look to them for stability, direction, and updates on our job security. But here is a reality check: your manager is going through the exact same transition you are. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E14
July 9 · 3 min
For Managers: Stay Interviews
Today we’re talking about Stay Interviews. In some companies, stay interviews are mandatory at certain intervals, in others they offer stay interview resources but don’t have specific requirements, and in others, nobody has ever uttered the words “stay interview.” A stay interview is a separate one-on-one call with your direct report that is focused on their needs and satisfaction, not their performance. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E13
July 7 · 2 min
Setting Boundaries in a High-Stress Environment
During an M&A transition, the workplace dynamic quickly morphs into an absolute pressure cooker. Your slack notifications are buzzing at 9:00 PM, managers are making frantic, last-minute requests, and the unwritten expectation seems to be that everyone should work 60-hour weeks just to prove they deserve to keep their jobs. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E12
July 2 · 2 min
Avoiding Impulsive Reactions
The first week of an acquisition is an emotional rollercoaster. You’re dealing with frustrating town halls, anxious peers, and a complete lack of concrete answers from management. In moments like this, a voice inside your head might start whispering—or screaming—"Just quit! Open up LinkedIn, message a recruiter, and walk away before they can push you out!" Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E11
June 29 · 2 min
Book Rec - Plunder
I love books because they give you different perspectives on things. Today’s book is Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America by Brendan Ballou. If you've been acquired by a private equity firm, this is a must read so you understand how things work to lessen the personal attacks you feel as your company is being acquired by private equity. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E10
June 26 · 2 min
Telling Your Family – Managing Stress at Home
When your company gets acquired, you don’t just carry that stress in your laptop bag—you bring it right through your front door. It sits at the dinner table, and it keeps you awake at night. One of the hardest parts of corporate disruption isn't managing your boss; it's managing the conversation with the people who depend on you. This episode will give you tips on what to say to your family and friends and how to separate your work life from home life. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.
S1 · E9
June 25 · 2 min
Who is the Acquirer? Researching Your New Parent Company
Fear comes from the unknown. If you want to demystify the entity that just bought your employer, you need to step outside your internal corporate bubble and do some external intelligence gathering. It’s time to research the acquirer. This episode will give you tips on what to look for. Visit www.wevebeenacquired.com for more resources.

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