Successful transformation of a business on behalf of customers is complex. These are the top 10 things that I’ve seen in transforming large businesses around the customer over the last decade. What have you seen?
1) Leadership built on uncompromising values
Leaders give absolute clarity and simplicity in their challenge and vision such that anyone can understand.
They insist on the values being lived
2) Leaders start externally
Ask the customers – nearly always the first step in creating awareness of dissatisfaction, and what to fix first and with what importance.
It usually requires experiential learning as well so that internal people “get it”.
3) Leaders keep learning what to do?
They ask the frontline staff because they know what ought to be done to achieve the challenge – this is at the heart of change working well .
The leader doesn’t ask what changes to make, but sets out clearly where they’re going and consults extensively on how people think they can get the business there.
He/she uses this to set up continuous processes for this kind of consultation and listening in order to “change the change” later.
4) Leaders support and equip their people
Support the change with the right resources and training – so each person feels equipped to do the new things.
Frontline management and middle management usually need more training and coaching than frontline staff.
5) Leaders plan to win
Make sure each person has time to do the job the new way, taking account of the fact that “its not something else on top of what you do, it’s the new way you do it”.
Adequate resource planning means people have time to do a great job
6)Leaders change what gets attention
Support the change by measuring different things differently.
Measure individuals on things they can affect, not the things they can’t affect.
Talk incessantly about the vision and successes on the path to it.
7) Leaders plan slow, act fast
The timescales are much sharper than would be first seen as reasonable – after the plan has been formulated, not before.
Leaders take a long time to consult and communicate and that shouldn’t be cut short if the change is to be sustainable.
Leaders communicate endlessly
Massive amounts of formal and informal communication.
The comms plan is as big as the project plan.
9) Leaders review and change
Proper project planning & review.
Communications planning and stakeholder communications.
Constantly “changing the change” with feedback.
Most project managers don’t have the necessary change skills and need training in many cases.
10) Leaders have stamina and consistency
Each decision, made along the way, sticks to the values and vision.
Any deviation introduces cynicism.
Good luck with your customer change programmes. Let us know what other points you are taking note of.
