We help clients to succeed at major business transformations by transforming the mindsets and behaviors of employees and leaders. Complex journeys of change and transformation demand a different approach – one that starts inside.
It’s a frustrating reality that many business transformations often fail to achieve lift-off. Despite smart strategies and finely honed plans, the value generated falls short of expectations and organizational performance shows no measurable or sustained improvement.
More often than not, the lack of progress can be traced back to people – employees who resist the transformation or executives who don’t know how to lead it. Despite this, many companies still trod a path that will never get them to their desired destination.
The most forward-thinking companies are taking a different approach, and Potential Project is proud to be working alongside them. This approach puts the human journey of change right alongside the journey of strategic and organizational change. At its core is the understanding that individuals make transformations happen, not project plans or programs.
If you are ready to transform your business – or to jumpstart a failed transformation – it’s time to start from the inside out, not the outside in.
Humans are wired to hate change. It makes us feel uncomfortable at best and at worst threatened or afraid. It’s not surprising then that change and transformation programs often fail to achieve lift-off.
Inspired by the Kübler-Ross Change Curve and informed by our years working with global clients, we have defined the two possible paths through a major change in the business context (like a strategic transformation, merger, or massive reorganization): The Unmanaged Path and The Mind Managed Path.
The Unmanaged Path is the default path we can all wander when change –and specifically how our minds react to change – is ignored and unmanaged. It’s the path that drains one’s mental energy, lowers performance and engagement, and torpedoes any hope that changes will be long-lasting.
The Managed Path is the alternative. This is the way forward through change when we replace default reactions with new mindsets. It’s the path that allows us to face change with increasing energy and engagement and to forge ahead in a positive direction.
When we recognize where resistance to transformations comes from and why, we can do something about it. When we replace default reactions with new mindsets, we can transform the experience of change into something positive, even rewarding. We can jumpstart transformations that have stalled or gone off track.
Read more about the mindsets that transform resistance to acceptance, that transform fear and failure to acceptance and real results. Download your Free Guide with insightful tips for our six mindsets:
Key takeaways from our recent event, Leadership Reimagined: Defying the Odds with Giny Boer, C&A CEO, Moses Mohan, Potential Project Partner and Nick Hobson, Director of Behavioral and Data Sciences at Potential Project.
A business transformation like the one that C&A is delivering is extremely hard to get right. Standard practice is failure, success is an outlier. Transformations succeed when leaders understand how the mind reacts to big changes and work to address that rather than ignore it. Mindsets such as curiosity (beginner's mind), courage and optimism are critical.
Giny and Moses agreed that transformation is created in community. A leader’s priority is to be curious, listen and to guide, not to hand down directives. In this way, teams become co-creators of the transformation initiative, and when roadblocks happen, everyone can look to each other for support and solutions.
We are available in 28 countries around the world. Send us a few words here, and our specialists will get back in touch. Together we will find the right solution for you and your team.