Mission-Led Transformation

McKinsey quote that based on research, 70% of business transformation is unsuccessful, and observationally, I agree.

In this post I want to cover why a Mission-Led approach to transformation is so important at every twist and turn of transformation. Often, when I meet a business leader they want to show me the business plan, the programme or the deck. The project team will show me their plans, their gantt charts, their RAID documents and PRINCE2 compliance. The digital team will convince me that their technology is life changing. And so on, around the organisation.

All I want to see is your Mission. We will start from there.

I can tell you now that 70% of business transformation initiatives will be over budget, will take twice as long and not actually transform the world. Not even shift the dial, unless they embed a Mission-Led approach at every twist and turn and make it their mantra.

Failure, strangely enough, often comes from people wanting to complete tasks, ticking boxes, making huge plans full of activity, pulling together reports and admin showing the boss how great we are. Busy Busy Busy. Yet, too often elsewhere in the businesses ecosystem, transformation will have been viewed a failure, misguided, silo, miscommunicated and not adopted.

Why has it failed? How has it been miscommunicated? Why has it not been adopted.

Indeed. Why?

Mission-Led Transformation

"Red Card, Ref!"

Whenever I am in a transformation review, scrum, meeting or similar, I hold up the virtual 'Mission' card. Our Mission is our promise, our brand and our commitment. Can we honestly say that every result, action and interaction we see is Mission-Led, irrespective of the plan?

Here is a fictitious, but often true role play.

Programme Lead: "I come to you with my 30 page report to demonstrate everything that we did and are doing. We have chosen the systems and they are ready to roll. We have the new machines coming next week. We are coming under budget, and will only be a week late."

Me: "So our mission is to "help people eat more vegetables" (e.g. Birdseye, 2023). Is what you have told me in line with this?"

Programme Lead: "Well, it's the plan."

Me: "OK. So you came under budget because; 1) you couldn't afford a couple of modules in the system, which will come next year, but actually mean we need a workaround for 12 months 2) you could only afford to train the trainer who sent a powerpoint out with system and operations instructions in English "if they can use a smartphone, they can operate a computer!" 3) parts of the digital solution have removed functionality 4) you've just found out the machines you have brought in can't handle sweetcorn. But to be fair, it was a very complex 5000 line programme and was good considering the challenges you faced.

So I hear that, but can you tell me that everything that you have told me will help people eat more vegetables?"

You get the idea. Every activity and interaction should be evaluated as being Mission-Led and be our constant mantra. Whether this is,

• To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time (Starbucks, 2023)

• To inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow (Lego, 2023)

• To help our customers build a better, more sustainable world (Caterpillar, 2023)

Personally, I don't care as much about the plan, traffic lights and how many boxes have been ticked off this month. Can we demonstrate that,

• Everything done or planned is in line with the 'Mission' (or purpose, or vision)?

• Everything done or planned will have positive 'Impact'?

• Everything done or planned will have a positive 'Outcome'?

Can we honestly say that all of our staff, customers and stakeholders will say that our Mission was upheld at every stage of the journey?

I care that whatever we say we will do in our Mission, we actually do.

I care that what we do will be truly transformational.

#innovation #transformation #turnaround