Growing pains

While most people can tolerate only limited amounts of change, many organizations now seem to have insatiable appetites for transformation. Staffs are just expected to adapt instantaneously.

Most common is the top-down approach. Consider 1-800-Flowers.com, which has snapped up several large brands -- including home and garden retailer Plow & Hearth Inc. and The Popcorn Factory Inc. -- all of which now share core administrative units.

"We didn't overengineer the effort. We don't tend to waffle back and forth," says Enzo Micali, senior vice president and CIO at 1-800-Flowers.com in Westbury, N.Y.

"In past jobs, I've been involved in best-of-breed selections. And frankly, those are very complicated," he adds.