Transformational Change Process ….

Picture getting dressed hanging out of a speeding car!! “Transformation is a process not an event. It advances thru stages that build one on each other”. Hard Science of Team Work article HBR Harvard Business Review.

20 years ago I moved to Paris at the height of globalisation in the business travel industry. In early 1993 I joined a major financial and travel management company to set up a framework for managing T&E (travel and entertainment) expenses for global companies in all locations with a single supplier. This idea was meant to leverage buying power, and to streamline service delivery across all markets.

The first client to sign a global contract was a US based multinational and the programme was being rolled out in all their plants across EMEA Europe Middle East and Africa. As Head of Global Contracting France, my role was to develop the strategy, put together a virtual/global multi-functional team to ensure smooth and successful contract negotiations, uniformity of service and complete implementation within an eight month period.

The biggest challenge when leading a transformational change project of this magnitude, at its inception, is that both companies are agreeing to a partnership to bring to life an innovative concept that has never been done before. It is literally like the ‘wild west’, in that it is unknown territory and discoveries are made in the midst of implementation. The structure is created and the programme rolled out simultaneously.

This requires the agility of a fine balancing act at best combined with the art of diplomacy. If you can imagine trying to get dressed hanging out the door of a speeding car you will get the picture.

Key elements considered:

1. A vision supported by the highest level of leadership

2. Flexibility across hierarchical levels

3. Clearly defined goals

4. Buy-in of clients and internal stakeholders

5. Creating a new network internally of inspired individuals to support this initiative

   
   

Challenges overcame:

1. Working with no allocated resources until structure is created within a very tight deadline

2. Convincing internal stakeholders to support a programme that may be initially unprofitable in their market for the short to medium term

3. Shifting people’s mindset and attitudes of what can be achieved

4. Changing operational structures, policies and bonus schemes to facilitate service commitments and motivate existing staff to embrace this major challenge without any additional resources and a demotivating reward system (i.e. measure global profitability as opposed to individual country profit and loss)

5. Engaging local staff in each country to work as a global team to take ownership of carrying this initiative forward in their market.

   
   

“A Transformational Change initiative tends to have complex and unpredictable outcomes”, say Heifetz and Laurie in their article The Work of Leadership in the HBR Harvard Business Review. “By no means, should this lead to avoiding this type of change”, they emphasise.

The biggest obstacle to change, is our natural resistance to letting go of old preconceived ideas. Once this happens, we open a small window of possibility and only then able to embrace the change process to create successful outcomes.

The route to success lies in constant communication and recognition of milestones achieved by individuals. Generating staff and management enthusiasm across markets to keep things moving and on track even when no-one is looking over their shoulder. In this way, everyone contributes by their commitment to the day-to-day tasks, staying on schedule, sharing best practices and pitfalls to avoid.

Colin Marshall, Chief Executive of British Airways, the driving force behind the transformation of the airline’s image from one known as bloody awful by their passengers into one with exemplary customer service in the 1980’s. Marshall believes success is possible when, “…, people learn to collaborate and develop a collective sense of responsibility for the direction and performance of the company”.

Written by Florence Mackay, Business Psychologist,  AWP Performance Solutions

Web site: www.awp.uk.com