Feeling the heat from constant change? It’s not uncommon. Without the right strategy, relentless change can drain your organisation. Here are some of our learnings.
In discussions with senior leaders, one issue stands out: exhausted teams. Today’s companies face pressures from evolving consumer preferences, rapid tech changes, and geopolitical shifts. Continuous transformation is crucial but can be taxing.
A while back, we assisted a major retail client through a substantial transformation. They aimed to overhaul their go-to-market strategy by revamping their sales force and product lines at the same time. Initially, the teams struggled with the disruption, and performance dipped. Through strategic planning and phased implementation, we were able to manage the disruption and maintain their momentum.
So, what are the two takeaways from this engagement?
- Understand your team’s capacity for change.
- Every team has a limit. Overloading them with too many changes at once can backfire. For example, a sales force dealing with new territories and product lines simultaneously can become overwhelmed, harming productivity.
- During the transformation, we phased changes to avoid exhausting the sales force, ensuring smoother adaptation and sustained performance.
- Measure and manage disruption carefully.
- Sequence your initiatives strategically to prevent overload. Consistent communication is vital to help teams understand and adapt to changes. Provide resources to support those impacted, reducing the operationaland mental burden.
- During the pandemic, we helped a cargo company execute a rapid transformation under new ownership. By meticulously evaluating each change’s impact and sequencing initiatives strategically, we avoided overwhelmingany single part of the organisation, leading to a successful turnaround.