Why Transformations cannot be treated like projects: From project based to human centred

Organizational change is complex and multidimensional; therefore, it is critical to use a holistic and human centric framework for change and transformation to capture the effects of a change on all aspects of the organization.

What do we mean by a holistic and human centric framework? Too often we think of change and transformation as something that is project based and that can be done in some sequential and procedural manner. This is, in our experience, never the case. Why is that?

First, organizations are complex living systems where like an organism, it changes based on both internal and external variables; therefore, it is very difficult to predict and account for every possibility or situation. When we use methods that are too rigid and timeboxed it causes much stress and inability to follow the plan, therefore causing it to be ineffective and unrealistic. This ultimately leads to people feeling overwhelmed and drained by unrealistic expectations in plans that often are built without any consultation or input from the very people who will most be impacted.

Second, we often see a lack of alignment amongst the leaders who are asked to guide others through the process of change. Lack of alignment on where we are headed, why we are headed there and an imbalance in leaders ability to lead change. All of these factors can cause confusion and stress for all stakeholders involved.

Third, the behavioural sciences have shown us that people are motivated by autonomy, mastery and meaningful contribution as key elements of fulfillment at work. These elements do not disappear during a process of change and transformation. On the contrary they most often become heightened in that people don’t want to feel like they don’t have control, or that things are being done to them instead of with them. If we know this about human motivation then it should be included in any process of transformation.

The other element often missing within a transformation is a systemic view of the interrelationships between all the parts of an organization. We often mistakenly believe that we can truly isolate change to one part of an organization and box it into a project plan.?Systems thinking encourages us to look at how the parts are interconnected and understanding how pulling one string often ends up unraveling many other parts. It is na?ve to believe that organizations can completely isolate a change within one part of an organization without impacting other pieces.

When we don’t think about the interrelations, we end up planning a siloed approach which long term rarely works. It is akin to going to the doctor for a pain in your back and the doctor never looking to understand the root cause or if the back pain is coming from a problem somewhere else in the body. Looking strictly at the back leads to a limited view with a strong possibility of not ‘fixing’ the problem long term. When we instigate a change within one part of the organization without looking at the impacts throughout, we risk creating short-term change that cannot be sustained long term.

This then means that a holistic and human centric approach should be based on several guiding principles:

1. Involvement: This includes meaningful involvement of all stakeholders in the change process.
2. ?Alignment: This means working with leadership teams to align on the change and to commit in a meaningful way to the change process.
3. Empowerment: This includes giving people control over certain decisions in parts of the process that impact them.
4. Systems thinking: This includes understanding the relationships and impacts throughout the organization because of the change and planning for a holistic strategy.

If change and transformation should not be treated in the same way we do projects, then just how should we ‘manage the process?’?

First, it requires borrowing from human centered design principles:

1. Identify other users: this means that when you are building a process, you do not do it in isolation but with those who will be most impacted and ask yourself the question ‘who else may also be impacted by this?’ An example of this includes when building your plan is to bring together a cross-section of all the stakeholders who are impacted by the transformation to co-create and develop the process so that they can not only feel ownership of the process but also highlight any blind spots that we have.
2. Follow your users: this implies that they are the ones who have the expertise and knowledge about what works best- let them guide the timeframes, outcomes, etc. This should be a collaborative effort. Continuing the example above, this same group of people who have been brought together are best placed to speak to the reality of their workloads, resources available etc. This not only builds commitment to the process it also creates alignment as to what is possible throughout the organization.
3. Think about the whole journey: this means that you cannot build a plan strictly in the traditional phased manner. When we try to build plans in a phased way it may seem easier to handle yet does not look at the process as a whole and risks missing important connections between ‘phases.’ In other words, draw out the whole journey map even if you would like to break things down into smaller-sized deliverables. This means that we create a journey map with our group of stakeholders, who can then see the process in its entirety instead of just small parts at a time. When we look at things from a holistic point of view it allows the organization to be better prepared for what’s to come, minimizing the element of surprise which can cause people to push back. The more that we can give people control over what’s to come, the better we set the foundation for success.

Second and maybe first is to understand your organization’s readiness for change by identifying factors that could impact the success of the change. If people do not feel ready, capable, and supported to engage in the process of transformation then even the best devised ‘plan’ will not be sufficient to help people transition to a future state.

How can you assess if your organization is ready? You can use a variety of different assessments such as the Organizational Transformation Alignment Survey to tap into the potential levers for success and areas of concern. You can also host a variety of one-on-one conversations, focus groups and other pointed types of surveys to assess readiness.?

The key point is that your organization’s readiness and people’s willingness and capacity to embark on a journey of transformation must be present before even considering the how.

The Pillars works with organizations that are ready to embark on journeys of change and transformation. Our process using our Organizational Transformation and Alignment (OTA) framework considers the mechanics of a change (e.g., how processes will be impacted), as well as how people within the organization grapple with a change. Just as no two organizations are alike, no two changes are alike.?

Our OTA framework operates on this principle. Our framework is accompanied by our Organizational Transformation Alignment Survey. The?Organizational Transformation & Alignment Survey (OTAS)?is designed to help organizations identify strong points and areas of improvement that could potentially impact their efforts at organizational change. It measures performance in and alignment between four key areas, referred to as the four pillars of an organization. These four pillars are: 1) Strategy and Culture, 2) Leadership, 3) Organizational Practices and 4) Employees.

If you would like a sample report of our Organizational Transformation Alignment Survey please feel free to email us at [email protected]

This article was first published on?The Pillars Blog

The Pillars envision a future where organizations adopt human centric practices that create alignment for sustained and successful transformation.