Getting Started

Embarking on the Transformation Journey - If you are considering or preparing to launch a transformation effort within your organization, or you have begun the journey, there are critical things to consider. First and foremost, transformation is not for the “somewhat committed.” It requires the absolute best your leadership and organization can call forth. It requires entering uncharted territory and questioning things the organization considers sacred. It requires new learning curves that may cause key participants to feel initially incompetent. And it requires risking the security of present relationships and agreements in the pursuit of even greater opportunities and deeper connections.

Profound changes in organizations and in society – those changes that have the most lasting effect – are often the product of this type of bold questioning and deliberate retooling. These changes require altering the entire system at one time, rather than making piecemeal improvements. Organizations with this type of “systems” view are those that move from examining and focusing on pieces to examining and focusing on the whole, and from problem-solving to creating. It is this systemic view – and concerted action on multiple fronts at once – that makes transformation possible. While an organization can never be fully prepared to embark on such a journey, it is critical that core leaders and resources understand this is the commitment they are making from the outset. Business transformation cannot be undertaken halfheartedly and its magnitude must be clearly defined and understood. (For example, upgrading one major capability or installing a new system is not transformation.)

At Maxcomm, we partner with leaders using the Whole Systems Approach for business transformation and ensure that top leaders and leadership teams prepare and equip themselves to pursue legitimate breakthrough-level changes. While every scenario presents its own specific challenges, we have found that there are four areas the senior leadership team must address if they are to achieve significant and sustainable improvements in the results the organization is delivering.

• Effective leadership (both leadership process and leader effectiveness) is evident at the individual, team and organizational levels
• Senior leadership provides context for the organization so that the transformation effort has clear direction and meaning
• Key stakeholders are engaged and committed
• The entire organization is impacted and engaged, moving beyond diagnosis and planning to focus and execution

Practically speaking, the leader(s) initiating and championing the change must do the following:

• Ensure they have the required jurisdiction to lead the organization into transformation, with the appropriate senior executive’s full commitment to stay the course
• Ensure they have the expertise needed or “gathered” to safely navigate the organization through the changes
• Ensure they have a change methodology that is aligned and consistent with how the business is to be run moving forward
• Ensure the early work of the Setting the Stage phase has full backing and commitment from the most critical change agents and leaders so that kick off efforts will be successful

Then move forward into the Setting the Stage phase, knowing that this great challenge will be essential to the company’s future and a vital step in your own learning, development and career as a leader.