It seems these days that everyone is transforming...or are they?
Transformation is a high level management initiative designed to deliver benefits within the business by the implementation of a mix of process, people and system. Always overseen by the planned and astute management of the desired change of related behaviours. It is always a serious challenge.
Yet 'transformation' will soon become another of the dreaded management 'weasel words' and there is little that can be done to stop this happening as once 'everyone wants it' ...'everyone sells it!!!' Thereby... everyone is now transforming!!! But they're not.
I saw an advertisement last week for an IT switch capable of yes ...'transforming your business'. How many commodity products are we seeing today (enterprise or otherwise) that are being promoted as just this ...well?
In recent years I have worked in several new CRM environments where in each case the transforming software product was effectively configured and rolled out in less than two months. Promoted as such over that period with assumed benefits flowing immediately thereafter.
The sponsors in each case saw the 'proof of the pudding' payback was to be in the 'all singing, all dancing' dashboards that would 'thumbnail sketch' everything important going on in the sales & marketing businesses. Each project I joined just after the perceived transformation (each IT implementation complete with basic app training).
We were able to deliver generalised yet meaningful dashboards (the best kind) in about twelve months in each case. The major stumbling block - the behaviours of marketing and sales people - which are not conducive to being simply 'changed' at the push of a button. They already believed themselves to be working 'at the top of their game'. Therein your behavioural challenges.
The real transformation period was indeed a year. But when there is so much hype going around about a new piece of 'transforming' software - in this case: Salesforce.com - who wants to talk about reality?
Each of these projects began without even a basic understanding of the reporting required by key managers - thereby there was no 'user engagement' even requested. Only a packaged solution served up. Thereby, immediate (but often unstated) resistance.
Many splendid management philosophies and methodologies lie within the 'transformation paradigm' yet (much to my regret) within a year or two all this this work will be condemned to the 'weasel words' lexicon like many other splendid management tools & techniques. And why...? Because of us!
We are quite simply not ever willing to stand up to these quick fix merchants. The same merchants who will by that elapsed time be firmly attached to whatever they see is 'the next big thing' with all the right pedigrees of integrity to which they believe this can complement their next campaign release of commodity X product.
Or indeed we are so willing to embrace the rose coloured glasses approach proposed, we fall into thinking we can pay less than we really n e e d to.
Somebody throw open a window and start screaming or something ...p l e a s e!
There is no substitute for originality, research, investment, hard work and governance. But there is 'sweep real change under the carpet' if we let industry mavens and quick fix internal merchants get away with it.
The Troubadour
He came to us
as one of us
With a want to try to sing
His songs
were not 'the usual'
but long complex things
He spoke out
on looking out
from beyond your own back door
His call was to lead
not follow ...as before
With no concession
to class or place
as our fathers readily bore
But as an uncompromising
bringer of change...
revolution at the door
Using words
Powerful words
That spoke of freedom and truth
Thoughts he shared
with a growing army
of anxious wide-eyed youth
Enter the Troubadour
Let him sing
for he has something to say
We yearn for change
we're pained by war
He's brooding there back-stage
A tidal surge
of youthful thought
We need this better way
The guards are sleeping
The tower rests
We'll leave this very day
As we go
we won't look back
There's little good we see
When they awaken
The only clue given
Will be one hand waving free
Luther King
The Kennedy's
All praised in their own way
For their part
in social change
the heroes of their day
Yet no engine starts
without a key
The facts are plain to see
A new dialogue
was required
for open thought to breed
Dylan surfaced
He provided that spark
in his shrill compelling voice
Truth spoken out
again and again...
it served enlightened choice
Establishment frowned
...in time gave way
leaving Richard Nixon alone
We all answered
in the western world
J Edgar took a long walk home
Enter the Troubadour
Let him sing
for he has something to say
We yearn for change
we're pained by war
He's brooding there back-stage
A tidal surge
of youthful thought
We need this better way
The guards are sleeping
The tower rests
We'll leave this very day
As we go
we won't look back
There's little good we see
When they awaken
The only clue given
Will be one hand waving free
From my I-pad - Grahame J Flynn
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