Recipe for Transformation?

The need to transform, grow and succeed has been one of the most discussed topics and continuous challenge for leaders in the current VUCA world.

Having spent my last few years understanding, learning, leading and being part of Transformation teams, I felt the need to have wider conversation on this topic of transformation. So, with the objective of initiating wider conversations on this topic, I am putting my experiences & thoughts in a series of blogs. This transformation series is basically a small attempt to initiate such a conversation and evolve ideas further.?

Few weeks back I happened to see this article from Mr. R Gopalakrishnan “The role of luck in organisational transformation”, I was intrigued, and this idea to share & seek different perspectives was born. ?This coming from a very successful business leader triggered me to dwell deeper into my own personal experience driving transformation program and try identify top factors that have impact on transformation. On deeper reflection into my experiences, I could very well connect to this play of “Luck” in the success of transformation. This piece also triggered the idea of penning my reflections in blog as means for conversation.

In the industry and academia, there are many methodologies, approaches that claim to enable transformation success. But I do not think any of them is a sure recipe for success. On the other hand, I see that there are definitely few important “ingredients” which if not in place, any transformation is guaranteed for failure.

Anybody with some experience cooking will very well understand that a Biryani without the “key spices” will never taste any good, in same way any transformation without basic fundamental things in place will definitely fail. So, what this means, is that even though there is no surfeit recipe for success, there are clearly these “key ingredients” which when are missing will make the transformation journey painful and destined for failure.

• The first ingredient is “Clarity of the Purpose” in the Top Leadership, if the WHY is not clear beyond all doubt to the Top leadership, then there is no point in making the organization embark on the journey.
• Once the purpose is clear and understood well in the Top leadership, the commitment to the Purpose must be complete and total. It must be seen by all that the skin of the Top leader/leadership is at stake, this attitude and resolution is next key ingredient.
• The commitment must be demonstrated at the Top and this demonstration can be in form of hands-on engagement by the Top leadership. Leaving the transformation entrusted to an external consultant or special purpose team and detachment of Top leadership can lead to disaster.
• Engaging Key Stakeholders (e.g., Customers, Partners, Sponsors) of the organization and clear communication of the Purpose and what’s-in for the stakeholders is important. If not done upfront can lead to distrust and subterfuge.
• The last but not least is articulating the “Purpose” to the people of the organization in which they see themselves being one of the key actuators and beneficiaries of transformation.

As I see “Clarity of Purpose in Top Leadership”, “Commitment to Purpose/Skin of the Leader a stake”, “Demonstrated Commitment/Hands-On Leadership”, “Engaged key Stakeholders” and “Communicated Purpose to People in the Organization/What’s-In it for me” are the Top 5 Key ingredients without which any transformation is guaranteed for failure.

In future blogs I would further share some experiences to get more sense of each of these “Key ingredients” and till then looking for a learning conversation.