Beneath the waterline of a merger: the Iceberg model in Athmos practice.

• Teams remain stuck in their own habits, methods, and jargon

• Distrust grows between people from both organizations (“what’s their actual agenda?”)

• Friction escalates into open irritation, sabotage, or silo behavior

• Coordination meetings are tense or avoided altogether

• Customers notice inconsistency in approach and accessibility

• New employees don’t know who to turn to for what

With Athmos Pulse, we objectify the signals: what is really happening? What emotions are in play?

Impact for organizations: Undercurrents become discussable, persistent misunderstandings are given language and facts, and leaders gain a sharp view of where energy is lost and where it is released. This enables teams to get to the core faster, rebuild trust, and create the foundation for supported decisions and targeted action.

• Teams seek refuge in their “old structures” and close off from collaboration

• Department heads defend their way of working as if under threat

• Informal conversations turn cynical about “the others”

• Conflicts are avoided, expressed only through passive resistance

• People stop taking initiative, waiting instead, opting for individual fixes

With Athmos Atlas, we reveal where collaboration and trust are really stuck. Athmos ensures people feel heard, collaboration resumes authentically, and change is no longer feared but seen as an opportunity to emerge stronger.

• A double reality exists: formally one company, informally two camps

• The new structure is biased toward people from one of the two companies

• KPIs and expectations differ per team, without shared references

• Meeting structures are imposed, not aligned with relational dynamics

• No shared rhythm, no common language, no joint decision-making framework

With Athmos Atlas, we expose the system logic and redesign structures, KPIs, and coordination formats based on shared values and relational impact.

Impact: Uneven responsibilities and conflicting rhythms disappear, decision-making gains clarity, and collaboration becomes not only more efficient but also more supported. In mergers, this means less energy wasted in meetings, faster cultural integration, and a shared way of working that builds trust.

• “We were taken over, not merged.”

• “Our voice carries less weight.”

• “It’s us versus them - protect our own turf.”

• “They want to change everything that used to work.”

• “If I say the wrong thing, I’ll lose my position.”

• “There’s no room for mistakes — so I play it safe.”

With Athmos Compass, we make these underlying beliefs explicit and transform them through narrative re-framing into a shared story that builds trust and direction.

Impact in merger trajectories: Feelings of exclusion, distrust, and defensive loyalty are recognized and reframed into a common narrative. Psychological safety rises, ownership increases, and cultural integration gains a strong foundation rather than being undermined by hidden conflict.