This article will help you implement a business transformation project. It will warn you of the mistakes many have made before you, which you must avoid to successfully implement change in your company!
Are you looking to transform your sales organization? What a great idea!
You can invest in better tools, optimize your processes to make them more efficient, train your employees to make them experts, but if you undertake this project alone, you will fail.
Indeed, it is essential that your employees embrace the project for it to be viable.
However, two common phenomena are likely to occur within your teams during the project.
The Change Resistance Syndrome
When trying to implement new processes, you will discover that some people will not want to change their ways. They will prefer to stick to their “good old methods” that have proven themselves, rather than trusting new processes that are unfamiliar to them. To familiarize them with this business transformation, it’s good to show them the significant improvements that would result from it, contrasting that with the losses that would occur if the new processes aren’t adopted. Also, it is often wise to highlight the project’s value to everyone, by explaining how this project would benefit them and subsequently make them more “employable”.
The Surveillance Syndrome
It is highly probable that your employees will associate the use of a new management tool with an opportunity for managers to track their every move and have ever more control over them. It is important to dispel these apprehensions by establishing transparent communication to create an essential reciprocal bond of trust.
These common phenomena must be managed pragmatically to ensure as many people as possible buy into and support the project. Try to identify opinion leaders who can help you convince your teams, but beware of disruptors who will try to sabotage your project. If, despite attempts at discussion, you cannot reach an agreement, do not hesitate to show them the door. You cannot afford to keep such people during a strategic turning point like a business transformation.
Remember that you will not be able to satisfy everyone; some people will end up with fewer responsibilities, some will not be able to adapt to a new way of working, and others may lose their jobs. You will be tempted to try to adapt your business transformation vision to your company, instead of adapting your company to your business transformation. Do not falter and “be the change you want to see in the world”!
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