The
Merger Mindset Quotient™

Find your Merger Mindset Quotient by scoring each of the statements below.
Rank each on a scale of 1 to 4
1=Totally Disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Agree, 4= Totally Agree

Beliefs

1. I am confident enough to ask for help.
2. I believe that good ideas can come from both expected and unexpected places and people.
3. I don’t let differences in opinion interfere with my relationships.
4. I do not defend bad behavior, whether mine or anyone else’s.
5. People and organizations should always seek improvement, not just when in a crisis.

Cognition

1. I zero in on the critical and put aside the trivial.
2. I do not allow others to confuse issues with irrelevant information.
3. I avoid chasing “bright shiny objects.”
4. I believe that curiosity is important to learning and innovation.
5. I understand the traps and limitations of detailed plans.

Emotion

1. I accept that fear can affect decisions and it is important to admit it.
2. I trust myself to make the right decision most of the time.
3. I am able to modulate my emotions.
4. I do not second guess tough calls.
5. I do not cling to a plan of action when it is clear it needs adjustment.

Motivation

1. I continuously set stretch goals for myself.
2. I enjoy competition.
3. I overcome obstacles that stand in my way.
4. I pursue big goals even if they can’t be accomplished quickly.
5. I am responsible to motivate myself.

Resilience

1. I bounce back from disappointments.
2. I control the things I can control.
3. I embrace ambiguity.
4. I have resources that I call upon when set-backs occur.
5. I have created a healthy personal life as well as business success.

The Merger Mindset

Congratulations! You truly have A Merger Mindset—one that shapes resilience—recognizes that challenges aren’t permanent; talented people can figure things out; and even failure isn’t fatal. The Merger Mindset allows leaders to learn from past missteps and helps them move past them, so people and organizations can thrive.

The Confident Mindset

You have most of the attributes of a Merger Mindset, and you probably feel pretty good about proceeding with the deal. Before you take the plunge, however, think about the tendency of people to be over-confident. If you are over-confident by even 5%, what will that mean? You are far better off challenging yourself now than wishing you had done so later.

The Risky Mindset

If you are a risk taker by nature, you need to be careful if you scored in this range. You will be tempted to do a deal because of the challenges and excitement it will bring. Typically, people with this mindset like change for the sake of change. If you do a deal you know is risky and pay a “fair” price, you take the chance that you will end up with one of the 70% of deals that fail to deliver on the deal thesis.

A Pessimistic Mindset

No explanation needed here. You should walk away from the deal you’re currently considering and take a close look at your strategy and vision. You might want to do the deal because you want to grow, but deals do more than increase size. They illuminate weaknesses.

Summary

If your highest score is Beliefs, you are likely to be open-minded about ideas and firm on matters of principle. This will help you avoid the Overconfidence Trap, which leads people to make errors of fact and judgment. You should guard against gathering data past the point where it is useful.

If your highest score is Cognition, you are likely to be discerning. This will help you maintain focus and avoid the Recency Trap that occurs when the information or ideas we have learned most recently have the greatest effect on our judgment and decisions. You should guard against ignoring faint but important information in the environment.

If your highest score is Emotion, you probably have the fortitude needed to be decisive and act with conviction. This will help you avoid the Reactivity Trap—a problem we encounter when we have stronger emotional reactions than circumstances warrant. You should guard against being insensitive to the emotions of others.

If your highest score is in Motivation, you are likely to be a self-starter and can inspire those around you. This will help you avoid the Complacency Trap that causes us to think we have everything figured out, and we can coast. You should guard against judging too harshly those who are not as self-motivated.

If you scored highest in Resilience, you are likely to have the ability to stick with goals that take a long time to achieve. This will help you avoid the Permanence Trap, a phenomenon that causes us to see set-backs as unchangeable rather than temporary. You should guard against using resilience to the point that you do not allow yourself sufficient time to relax and celebrate success.

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