Companies large and small make huge investments in business transformation initiatives, only to see them fail in the long run, or never see them make it to implementation. Being aware of the common pitfalls will increase your chances of success.
Transformations can’t succeed on methodology alone; leaders need coaching to think differently. That coaching may come in the form of group workshops or even 1:1 sessions.
Three things must be explored:
Leadership Commitment & Alignment
If the message and vision is not aligned on a team, interpretations of execution run wild. The solutions must be based on real needs, not expected ones. The data tells the story and adjustments must be made.
Systems Thinking
The structure of your organization really matters. If you change a solution in the sales department, how does it affect the customer service team? Every decision affects either up or down stream. Solving YOUR problem doesn’t solve the ultimate problems.
Leadership Paradigm Shift
In my opinion, this is probably the most typical reason for failure. Even the best leaders have difficulty during a transformation event. This is because they have been successful doing things the way they’ve always done them.
They sometimes take it personal when being asked to change their successful formula. They are operating with the blinders on from their previous successes and not able to see other options. Leaders need to make a shift in the way they see things to allow for out-of-the-box thinking. Many leaders don’t realize that small changes can make a huge impact on an organizations productivity or quality. They operate from a place of fear or control, rather than a perspective of opportunity.
I once partnered with a senior leader assigned to lead an initiative to shorten the cycle time for an implementation process. This leader’s staff was already working hard and stretched thin to complete the work in the current cycle time. He could not see the process cycle time reducing by another 15-20%, which is what they were targeting.
After some 1:1 coaching around this leader’s limiting beliefs and assumptions about making process changes, we were able to make progress to identify potential solutions. As our coaching continued over the next several weeks, we addressed some of his overall inner blocks around any type of changes.
As a result of these one-on-one sessions, he was able to lead his team to uncovering process improvements resulting in a 40% cycle time reduction. The leader’s shift in mindset from doubt and fear to that of possibility and opportunity allowed him to experience an amazing transformation for his business unit, as well as earning him a promotion.
If you want to talk about these concepts further, let’s get a conversation scheduled.