Acquisition: what it means.
To be honest, I didn't know what to think at first. I didn't know how to feel. I'd never been part of an acquisition before, so I didn't really know how to react. Did I need to? I wasn't worried about my own job. I wasn't worried about others' jobs. But it did leave me feeling a bit uncomfortable. My initial gut check reaction was: "Man, this kinda stinks, we've built such a unique culture and team– we have so much fun; surely that will go away now."
"This wasn't the plan, damn it!" We were the last man standing- the one remaining pure-play cloud consultancy. We were supposed to climb to #1 in the market. It wasn't supposed to go down like this. We weren't supposed to be purchased. I felt a little uncertain, a bit resentful, and kind of uncomfortable with the whole thing in the beginning. What made it better and settled any fear, uncertainty, or doubt for me was how well our executive team did in keeping with our tradition of openness, honesty, and transparency. They executed roadshows in hub cities to address questions and concerns. The messaging has been well orchestrated, consistent, and positive. I also got to spend time with Chris 1:1 and the biggest thing he asked of me was "to trust". Trust that we did this for the right reasons.
Just as all this transpired I stumbled upon Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski On Responding To Stress. Watch it. It's worth the minute and a half, and he has a killer beard. The gist is this: being uncomfortable is the catalyst for growth. And this goofy lobster metaphor really helped me understand my feelings around the acquisition. Ecdysis, commonly called shedding, occurs when a lobster extrudes itself from its old shell. The overall process of preparing for, performing, and recovering from ecdysis is known as molting. It's a pretty uncomfortable time for the little guys and it makes sense why. What's cool, is that with the transition comes, development and growth. This was so timely to stumble upon for me because it reminded me that being uncomfortable is the catalyst for growth. If you think about it this applies in many arenas: work, home, hobbies, etc. Think of any feeling of discomfort as the catalyst for developmental growth. Work out too hard and feeling sore? You're gettin' rid of that #dadbod. Staying up late to finish up a project? It'll be worth it when it's done and you'll probably learn something from it! I could go on and on with examples but would rather hear from you! Comment below!
To bring this full circle, I want to come back to the definition of acquisition above. I realize that we're moreso leaning toward the second one. We're not just "being bought," but we're developing a new skillset, and growing. So next time you feel uncomfortable about something, remind yourself that a something interesting is likely right around the corner.