“70% of transformational programs fail largely due to the lack of change management”!
In these times of major change and transformation, we still find that the people element is seen as the ‘fluffy stuff’ and a nice to do, not necessarily a need to do! How wrong this view continues to be and those that ignore it suffer the consequences accordingly. Often millions of dollars down the drain!
Many organisations are running major transformational programs to enhance their overall performance. This may be to reduce cost, improve productivity through new technology or develop a more efficient process, just to call out a few. If the people element is not managed throughout, the change will struggle to embed and have the potential to severely impact the overall desired results. Why? Well let us use the following analogy to explain this.
Today we are driving a vehicle that was designed and built in 2001. It is a good vehicle and takes us on the journey that we are going. However it is not efficient anymore and there are far better cost effective vehicles available that will get us to our destination faster and more efficiently. We therefore go and buy the latest vehicle on the market. It has many new features that enhance the ability for the driver to be more effective when they drive. Wonderful we think. However let us now assume that our current driver loves their current car and is not interested in changing! Even though the car is there he is not interested in driving it and reverts back to what he knows.
Well we can solve that can't we! We will take the car off him and make him drive the new car! Our driver gets in but is very reluctant. He doesn't know this new car! He doesn't want to drive this new car! He doesn't understand why he has to change! Even though it may have lots of new features they take a long time to learn, or he is not interested in learning them.
Too many transformational programs leave it until the last minute to not only engage people, but to help them make the emotional leap required to transform. It may be the latest vehicle out but your people still need to operate it and if they are not motivated and capable, it will take some time to get to the point where optimal results are being achieved.
In any change it is implicit that people move to the new desired state. This is not only from a physical aspect but also from a mental and emotional state. If this is not managed as a priority it will delay the move to the new state. For optimum performance to be achieved there must be a willing and motivated 'driver' not just a flash car!
“Future organizational performance is inextricably linked to the capabilities and motivations of a company’s people.” Thomas H. Davenport - Harvard Business Review
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