Speed > People

A misplaced priority

One size doesn't fit all

Clarity on the full scope of a planned change doesn't stop at a well defined project plan. It needs to include systems thinking across the wider ecosystem of the organisation – an understanding of the interconnections between systems and employees – anticipating how different elements of the planned change will have knock-on effects for the business and its people.

This includes focusing on the specifics of each change to avoid the pitfalls caused by taking a generic approach. It’s natural to apply practices which may have worked previously in a different situation on the assumption it will fit the current change challenge. In fact, taking this systems approach can mean getting started more quickly and provide reassurance of activity for stakeholders.

But while previous experience of leading transformation can be critical to make the current change a success, it is not about reapplying these strategies without significant tailoring to drive insight into current circumstances.

Each change is unique, and yet many leaders continue to use this one size fits all approach, with a recent WTW study finding that 57% of employees say their business is poor at managing change.

“Sometimes you need to slow down to go fast”

- Jeff Olson

Pace in the right place

The need to drive change at a faster pace is also putting further pressure on businesses to implement projects at speed. Recent Gartner research shows that 53% of leaders say change needs to be completed faster, and yet our own research shows that only 12% of change leaders are investing in a skilled and dedicated change team to plan and support their organisational change.

This means that there’s less resource and time available to ensure that the people are engaged and supported successfully through the transformation. Our research also shows major transformations are being put at risk by the fact that 1 in 6 of the change leaders we surveyed have little or no experience of the type of change they are now leading.

And if leaders insist on moving at pace with insufficient focus on the connections across their planned change, using a blanket approach for all initiatives, they might just pay a very high price – as nearly 1 in 3 CEOs get fired for poor change management.

of CEOs lose their job when they fail
to manage change effectively

Key takeaways

The pressure to make changes at pace is never going to disappear
Businesses need to adopt a systems thinking approach
Moving at pace requires recognition that there are times when you need to slow down in order to speed up