Is your org suffering from transformation trauma?

Move over transformation fatigue. We are talking full-on TRANSFORMATION TRAUMA.

Whether it’s struggling to sprint or to answer our own contribution to it all (visionary existentialism?), the fact is for many embarking on this journey, transformation feels tough.

Here's my 2 cents on WHY.

But first…. WHAT’S WRONG?

Symptoms:

Many of you have seen/heard these direct from the (virtual) shop floor:

1. Lack of trust

2. Feeling “stuck” / frustrated

3. Organizational noise; chaos

WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY ?

With these symptoms fresh in mind, it takes a mere five why's before we can fish-bone our way to a few possible root causes:

Possible Root Causes:

1. Rushing to restructure (“transformation”= “downsizing”)

2. Uneven capability building

3. Too few guardrails

Potential Actions to Address It:

1. Take a holistic approach: I am invoking my inner Bon Jovi here to say there are certain imperfect practices that give transformation “a bad name.”

Exhibit A: I have said it thrice and I will SHOUT it again: TRANSFORMATION DOES NOT = RESTRUCTURING.

In fact, I would argue that if you do all the other bits right, you might never NEED to restructure at all! True transformation requires attending to (and evolving) ALL aspects of your business. This including governance, processes, systems, behaviors and more. Wondering where to start (or course-correct)? Make sure to laser-focus on the Vision and the WHY behind your transformation.

Resist the temptation to "transform out" under-performers

While we are busy debunking transformation misuse, I shall add this bonus trust-buster #1b: please DO NOT use transformation to “transform out” under-performers. Performance issues should be dealt with early, often, and – most importantly - unrelated to any transformation effort. <Mic drop.>

2. GO SLOW to build critical capabilities: Let’s face it. The promise of agile ways of working (#greaterimpact #empowerment #fastertopatients) is intoxicating. But beware of rushing in without taking some time to build those all-important mindset and behavior muscles as well as other key capabilities. “Slow down to go fast" might become your most important mantra in this space. Because whether the flavor of your transformation treat is scrum, design thinking, or Lean, it takes time, discipline, and consistent reinforcement (like any major change) to turn the big ships (habit/comfort/skills). The first step? Make sure your organization has a shared understanding of the behaviors, capabilities and ways of working you expect from your leaders of the future.

3. Double down on Guardrails & Learning Sharing: Agility isn’t a free-for-all. Don't try to solve for EVERYTHING (especially not at the same time). Instead, laser focus on being a lean, mean, outcomes-focused machine service of your organization's vision! Set clear targets and radically prioritize those things that have greatest impact. STOP the stuff that doesn’t. Each person should have a crystal clear about the organization’s vision, their contribution to it and they are equipped (see capabilities above) and empowered to prioritize their work accordingly.

Another important guardrail is to set clear expectations - and a clear process - for sharing learnings. Working in silos and not sharing both wins - YAY! Steal with pride that great solution for customers in our market! - and learnings. After all, if you tripped over a rock in the proverbial road, wouldn't you turn and warn others on the same path? A disciplined approach to sharing learnings across the system - especially when things did not go as planned - can stop reinventing the wheel, repeating the same pitfalls, help you reduce waste, accelerate progress and increase engagement in your transformation.

Reflect and refine

In short, agile transformation still requires structure. So, as we head to the end of the year, why not take time to pause, reflect on how you’ve progressed against your priorities, where you encountered barriers and how you might add more structure to your area’s work. It will help you achieve better outcomes and help quiet the transformation noise.