The Power of Perspective
Why Strategic Change Means Letting Go of Individual Agendas
I am regularly asked to comment on the change element of digital transformation. Or to discuss the different roles of strategy, culture and change within these programs.
In reality, most attempts at change through transformation programs usually mirror the parable of the blind men and the elephant. Everyone is so involved in their perceived view of the perfect outcome that it ultimately has a cumulative limiting factor on the broader perspective. The colloquial term for this is, in-fighting.
But it is what sits behind the in-fighting that is most fascinating to me. The phenomenon exists everywhere in strategic literature. For example, in Natural Language Processing the process of interpreting or perceiving the same thing in different ways is referred to as "ambiguity". In Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), as a "perceptual filter" or "maps of reality."
Wherever it exists, it is clear that individualism and individual perception has the power to be either an enabling or delimiting factor of change.
This is part of the reason why organisations seek external advice when developing change programs. They understand that effective transformation requires careful consideration of multiple perspectives. These can be infinite but ultimately fit into just three buckets.
The first, seeing the situation through your own eyes.
The second, understanding it from someone else’s perspective.
The third, listening to an impartial, outsider's view.
When change goes awry, it is often because each of these perspectives have either not been fully considered, or respected.
In technology transformation, individual perceptions are important, but an overemphasis on personal perspectives can, and often does, derail progress.
When individual agendas dominate, they create silos and block the broader alignment needed for success. Navigating this balance is a delicate task, especially within the structural and financial hierarchies of most organisations.
Therefore real strategic change requires executives and senior managers to acknowledge what they need to give up in order to achieve the organisation’s greater transformational goals.
That might include relinquishing budgetary or resource control. But as a colleague of mine once remarked, that might even include their job (or to a lesser extent, at least stepping back from their role in the program).
I’ve heard this discussed as one of the management principles at Amazon. They call it, “Disagree and Commit”.
If it (i.e. your argument) is the right thing to give up in the context of the organisational goals this does not preclude someone from continuing to champion its success and overall vision. But so often it does.
That is because strategies create division as well as clarity. And it is at this point that many transformations falter. Enter culture.
Culture is the thread that ties everything together and determines whether strategy succeeds or fails.
As the famous quote goes, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast,"1. That timeless quote singularly underscores that even the most well-crafted strategies will fail without cultural support.
A culture that prioritises collaboration, mutual respect, and alignment with organisational goals then empowers individuals to work collectively toward success.
Conversely, a culture lacking these qualities is self-evident, even to our fabled blind men and their elephant. Such a culture will breed dysfunction and internal competition, and will pretty much always undermine progress.
A philosophical approach to change is often dismissed, yet it is unavoidable because change is intrinsic to the human experience.
The typical organisation we all work for, like the elephant in the parable, exists beyond our individual perspectives. Yet for many, it will always be seen in much narrower terms: as a company, we see it as just a piece of paper; as a service provider, we see it merely as a brand; or as an employer, we see it simply a place to work.
So my bottom line when engaged to advise on change is that it is achieved by ensuring organisational outcomes take precedence over individual agendas.
And that means that successful transformation is underpinned by sacrifice, not gain.
Merry Christmas everyone. What an amazing 2024!
Often incorrectly attributed to Peter Drucker. Something he definitely did say was, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said”.