10 truths about merger and acquisitions

'Two tigers cannot live on one mountain' - a Chinese proverb, which means there can only be one winner in a battle.

A truce, the Chinese say, merely delays the inevitable and what I am thinking is...someone ultimately has to be put in charge.

Here are 10 truths about merger and acquisitions digged out from a book on surviving M&A...

won't be long till I can testify the truth behind them all!

1. The truth of mergers: There are no mergers, only acquisitions
2. The truth of addition: 2 companies combined will not equal to the sum of their individual businesses
3. The truth of division: it's always Us vs. Them
4. The truth of politics: Political alignments, rather than business strategies, will drive all decisions
5. The truth of reconciliations: There are too many products, something has to go
6. The truth of attrition: Rightsizing is the first victory of all mergers
7. The truth of loyality: Old boys never die, they just network
8. The truth of trust: The root of trust is us, and you are them
9. The truth of fear: The primal instinct of fear will decide who will be ostracized
10. The truth of denial: The right way is our way