The key to leading a business transformation is being sufficiently organized to be able to oversee transformation initiatives, ongoing projects and operations.

When you start a transformation, everything else doesn’t stop ‒ on the contrary!

In an earlier blog article, we discussed the structure you’ll need to put in place to see your transformation through to completion. But that’s just the start. You inevitably risk being overwhelmed by the demands of daily life... meaning that you will need to keep track of your transformation.

The six main mechanisms of organization.

1. Decision-making mechanisms. There’s nothing worse than “spinning your wheels”, feeling like you are standing still in the midst of your transformation. Decision-making mechanisms should be clearly defined from the outset. 
2. Idea-capture process. Great idea! Let’s do it! Your organization has lots of talented people with good ideas, which is great! But if you don’t put in place a process to capture those ideas, you’ll end up with a project list that has doubled before you know it.
3. Capacity. “Others have done it, and so can we!” Be careful! Poorly managed capacity has many consequences that can keep you from reaping the expected rewards of your transformation. It’s good to manage your capacity to deliver your projects, but the real win comes when you manage your capacity to integrate them!
4. Schedule and structure. There’s tendonitis and there’s bursitis, and then there is meeting-itis. Everyone is overwhelmed, short of time, constantly challenged by daily crises. Setting a schedule for the various committees is key, along with ensuring that you have an agenda, clear goals and a time limit and that each participant understands his or her contribution. This will avoid redundancy and lost time. 
5. Scoreboard. How do you know you’ve reached your goal? How do you know you’ve made satisfactory strides? Simply by having a scoreboard that that provides a good overview by showing:

• A summary of your transformation initiatives with green, yellow or red status 
• A summary of your current projects 
• Tracking of your quarterly or annual indicators 
• Your challenges, risks and follow-up actions 
• Three priority actions. A goal without an action is like a bicycle without a pedal: you won’t move forward. The process starts with the setting of priority goals by senior management. Then, share those goals with all your managers. Finally, during the quarter, identify three priority actions that each employee can take to help achieve the goals. There is strength in numbers: the higher the number of employees involved in your transformation, the better your chances of success!

To support your process, I’ve prepared a checklist to help you organize your optimal transformation ecosystem.

Happy organizing!

Natalie Hubert

Director and Senior Consultant
Aplus