Blog

Leadership and organizational transformation

02/07/2024 by Alberto Pezeiro Professionals who are able to perform their duties and responsibilities in the best possible way, ensuring that the processes and indicators under their responsibility are stable, capable, and predictable, are highly valued in organizations. Managing your routine well will likely guarantee your job for many years to come.
However, what really makes a professional stand out is being an agent of change, capable of executing the initiatives necessary to take the organization to new levels of performance.
When I was head of GE's Corporate Training and Development department in Latin America, we sought to identify, from the very beginning of their professional careers at the company, which professionals stood out in driving the major changes necessary for the business. The more complex the change implemented, combined with the professional's attitude throughout the process, the more they stood out among other professionals in the company.
Being successful in a major change was a passport to greater aspirations within the organization and had a high impact on your chances of promotion. Leading a major change, therefore, was seen as a leadership test. Professionals knew they were being tested when they were assigned as facilitators of a transformation project.
In 2004, drawing on all the lessons learned from those years of experience, I created SETA: a company that is now a benchmark in corporate education and has helped thousands of professionals and companies achieve prominence and excellence in the market.
Change/transformation management is one of the recurring themes in the Leadership Development Programs we have implemented at the most important Corporate Universities and Leadership Academies where we have worked over the last 20 years.
 
For a transformation to be effective, the technical quality of the solution is not enough.
 








 















Even if a technical solution is the best available (Q from 8 to 10 in the equation above, for example), if acceptance by the organization and key people is low (A from 0 to 2), the efficiency of implementation will have a frustrating result (E from 0 to 20).
If, on the other hand, the same technical solution is accompanied by leadership efforts aimed at gaining the organization's acceptance and adherence (A from 8 to 10), there will be a high probability of implementation efficiency (E from 64 to 100).
The Transformation Leader needs to get involved and spend time and energy to ensure that the human side of the transformation keeps pace with the technical transformation. The time and energy spent on change management cannot be overlooked. Experience shows that it is usually much greater than the time and energy devoted to the technical side of the change.
 
Transformation Management Frameworks
 
There are several models that can help transformation leaders drive change without losing sight of any important aspects that ensure its effectiveness:
- Kotter's 8 steps of transformation;
- GE's (General Electric) CAP (Change Acceleration Process)
- Bridges' Change Transition Model
- Jeff Hiatt's ADKAR Model with a greater focus on personal change

Each model has its own particularities, but in general, some elements are present in all of them, namely:

Change Leader: define, together with Senior Leadership and/or HR, the person who will lead the change based on the size and complexity involved. In other words, who will be the professional given the opportunity for positive exposure.

Systems and Structures: Make changes to systems and structures that allow everyone in the organization to see that something important is happening. For example:
Have a dedicated budget for driving the transformation;
Introduce new training and development activities;
In more complex cases, make structural changes with fully (or partially) dedicated facilitators;
Where feasible, have a dedicated physical location throughout the change process (“War Room”).
Create a brand and visual identity for the Program so that people identify with it and know that it is related to the transformation that the organization is undergoing;
Events to launch the initiative (“kick-off”), intermediate reinforcement events, and events to celebrate significant achievements.
Create an inspiring vision: explain to the organization the greater purpose of the transformation in order to inspire everyone. People need to believe that they are part of something important that is worth spending time and energy on.
Create a shared need: give everyone in the organization the feeling that transformation is necessary and that it is important for the success of the organization as a whole. Ensure that there is a discourse of acceptance rather than resignation;
Mobilize commitment: identify key people in the organization who will serve to influence and accelerate the process of acceptance by everyone. Seek realistic help from key people and use the time available wisely to influence others in the organization.
Make the need for change throughout the organization something viral, giving everyone the feeling that if change does not occur, the future success of the organization may be threatened (or a great opportunity may be lost);
Communication Plan: celebrate and communicate progress thoroughly. Congratulate those who are excelling. Don't miss the opportunity to share major achievements and personally showcase the people responsible. Open multiple channels of communication so that information reaches everyone who needs to be influenced, at all levels of the organization.
Create indicators: to monitor progress and show the organization how the program is evolving. Use the indicators to govern the transformation and identify, as early as possible, if necessary, the need to correct the course;
Perpetuate Change: Have a plan to sustain the transformation over time, even if the structure set up during the transition process is dismantled. Ensure that everyone sees value in the results achieved and the impact on the company's results and values. Take preventive action to identify factors that could undermine the perpetuation of change and ensure that they are resolved in time, before they can flourish or take root in the organization.
Profound organizational changes can often lead to a loss of momentum in transformations led by previous management. This is often an overlooked factor that ultimately hinders the perpetuation of change.
 
In conclusion...
 
Leading major organizational transformations, especially those that are complex and involve a large number of people (both inside and outside the organization), is a great career accelerator for any professional.
Both HR and senior management in a company cannot miss the opportunity to test their best professionals in transformation programs, to observe closely how they behave and eliminate the barriers that will appear ahead.
One of the most serious mistakes that can be made is to give leadership of a Transformation Program to someone who is "on the sidelines" or who has "free time."
If the Organization perceives that the initiative is under the responsibility of someone who does not have the necessary leadership profile, it will not support the transformation.
Leading change is a great leadership experiment.