I have been researching articles that talk about TRANSFORMATION and it has me thinking about what matters most. Let’s face it, there are a lot of things that make transformations succeed and fail, but as a Transformation Programme Lead, there is one major thing we need to make it work: PEOPLE
Now, you are all eye-rolling and saying ‘Of course you need people, duh! who is going to do the work’.
But do you know how many times people are forgotten? People are put into buckets or are labelled, which is fine when you are looking to manage your key ‘stakeholders’ or identifying which persona is needed for managing change.
So what do I mean by People?
People who SET THE STRATEGY
Live and breathe it and more importantly BELIEVE it. Leadership has a big part to play in transformation yet so many think that once the programme is up and running, their job is done. The programme is there to enable the change, to deploy the technology and partner with the leadership to deliver against the strategy. The Leaders are accountable for ensuring the transformation meets the overall organisations objectives and strategy.
People that UNDERSTAND CHANGE
Whether you have internal people or are sourcing it externally, do not underestimate the amount of change the organisation will be undertaking. Get it right, get the skills, ensure you have the right people for the right element- whether it is change, communication or training.
People that SPONSOR the programme
What I really mean by sponsor is PERSON. To quote a film “There can be only one”. Whilst the strategy is set & owned by multiple people – the Chief Executive officer, Chief Finance officer, Chief Transformation Officer, the sponsor has to be one person. That role drives the one voice. They are accountable for delivering the strategy, bridging the gap between the execs and programme and ensuring communication of the risks & issues has one version of the truth. Multiple sponsors leads to Chinese whispers, competing priorities and fractured alignment as the workstream leads work to deliver what their leaders wants.
For me, having an organisation prepared to invest in the above, means that you are well on your way to having a successful programme.
Written by Pushpinder Sandhu
Pushpinder Sandhu is a highly motivated and accomplished Senior Director and Transformation Lead. With a background as a skilled program manager and accountant, Pushpinder has a proven track record of successfully delivering complex, global projects and processes. Her strategic initiatives have consistently led to operational efficiency, simplification, and cost savings. She excels in navigating the challenges of dynamic environments, driving change initiatives, and ensuring alignment with corporate strategy.
