Timing is the T of Transformation

As HBR confirmed again lately: corporate transformations still have a miserable success rate, even though scholars and consultants have significantly improved our understanding of how they work. Studies consistently report that about three-quarters of change efforts flop—either they fail to deliver the anticipated benefits, or they are abandoned entirely.

Besides flawed implementation, misdiagnosis is to be blamed for such failures, HBR argues that often organizations pursue the wrong changes—especially in complex and fast-moving environments, where decisions about what to transform can be hasty or misguided.

In my experience, a strategic sanity check is indeed one of the first things to do before sailing away on a course which is not the one fit to the organization. It very often is not the right course for the right organization at the right time.

Even when the strategy did make perfect sense at the launch of a transformation, along the way the course needs to be changed. Adapted to the changed circumstances, as a GPS adapts its suggested route to the changing traffic conditions.

It is the adaptability of this GPS that supports the journey. It should give you a new strategy when the old one does not seem feasible anymore to reach the goals as set. However, it should not change too often – the GPS would be deleted and probably replaced by a new GPS - but with enough dynamics to adapt effectively to the changed environment.

No waves, no glory.

If we see strategy as GPS for the organization during the transformation journey, equally adaptation is part of the game here too. Changes can be triggered by unanticipated moves of the competition, but the radar should cover a bigger part of the environment. It can sometimes be better to wait for national elections to take place, before certain strategic initiatives should be launched. And when the dust has settled down after the elections, you might only have a limited timeframe in which these should be delivered. It might be wise to postpone the validation of the targets of the transformation program after the closing of the regular budget cycle. Sometimes it is better to start preparing the HR department to enable them to support the rest of the organization during the transformation.

Changes in the environment (external as well as internal) will need to be translated in adaptations of the transformation program. Not only to avoid painful and costly waste of energy, but foremost to leverage from a changed situation. Successful transformations ride the waves of changes of the environment. No waves, no glory.

You have to strike when the iron is hot. Even if you’re not fully prepared, or not 100% sure about the consequences. If you don’t adapt the timing, the iron won’t be as hot anymore and all brilliant diagnosis and execution will deliver average transformations.