Featuring Tim Morton (Prompta AI), Marc Merulla (TBMOQ), and executive leader Joe Yacano
When organizations go through disruption—like M&A, operating model shifts, or major technology change—culture doesn’t “hold” just because leaders announce a new structure, put words on a wall, or publish a plan. As Marc Merulla put it in a recent webinar: culture changes when people experience a new way of working together.
That’s why this conversation brought together three perspectives that are rarely combined in one place:
• AI-enabled insight into what employees are actually experiencing at scale
• Experiential learning that makes team behaviours visible (and changeable) in real time
•Front-line integration leadership—what it really takes to land change without surprises
If you missed the session, the recording is available.
Why experiential learning belonged in this conversation
Marc shared a simple story that landed with many leaders: he once brought a pool water sample to a store, and in minutes the system produced a clear diagnosis and a step-by-step set of actions to fix the problem—no guesswork, no debating, no “theory-first” planning.
His point was direct: teams need the same kind of clarity during disruption—not generic activities, but precise insight into what’s happening, what’s not happening, and what to do next.
Marc also referenced Confucius: “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.”
That’s the role experiential learning plays: it turns “concepts” into lived experience, so teams don’t just hear the change—they internalize it.
The credibility gap in traditional change approaches
A theme that came through repeatedly: leaders and program teams are tired of change management that feels template-based, linear, resource-heavy, and reactive—especially when the real risks and resistance stay hidden until late.
Marc said it bluntly: “You can’t PowerPoint your way to team maturity and you can’t template your way to trust.”
And Joe highlighted what many integration leaders learn the hard way: silence creates a narrative. If leaders aren’t listening and engaging in a disciplined way, people fill the gaps with their own stories—and adoption erodes quietly.
What changes when leaders can see what’s happening early
One of the most important moments came when Tim shared an M&A example: leadership teams had invested weeks into detailed strategies and plans—then, after listening at scale, realized many planned interventions wouldn’t hit the mark, and several critical issues were invisible until surfaced through real workforce insight.
That’s the shift: from assumption-based planning to evidence-based decisions.
Prompta AI is designed to give leaders that early visibility—so they stop solving the wrong problems and start targeting what will actually move adoption.
Turning insight into disciplined action (not reporting)
During the session, Tim described the operating rhythm that makes the difference:
1. Create a psychologically safe way for people to share reality
2. Segment the themes (by role, team, location, etc.) to avoid “one message or engagement plan fits all”
3. Align leaders on the few decisions and actions that matter most now
4. Equip people managers with specific actions for the next weeks
5. Close the loop with employees—fast (“we heard you, here’s what’s changing, here’s how you can get involved”)
6. Repeat the cycle so the approach stays adaptive as conditions evolve and readiness is enabled
This is also where integrations and go-lives become smoother: when leaders use insight to drive action early, Day 1 or go-live becomes a “non-event”—fewer surprises, less firefighting, and better adoption.
A practical distinction leaders miss: bonding vs building vs development
Marc also introduced a simple but useful framework many leaders wish they had earlier:
•Team bonding (informal fun): morale + connection
•Team building (serious fun): accomplishing something together + learning as a team
• Team development (fundamentals): deeper capability (conflict, alignment, psychometrics, etc.)
In disruption, organizations often default to “something fun” when what they actually need is purposeful work that builds maturity, trust, and new operating behaviours—grounded in real insight.
To explore how experiential learning could support your organization’s goals, you can book time directly with Marc: · Book time with Marc (Calendly), TBMOQ website and LinkedIn
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