There is currently hardly a company in the world that does not have one or the other (digital) transformation project in the planning or implementation phase. However, the experiences of most companies and those responsible for transformation or project managers do not differ from the experiences of many other projects in recent years and decades. Why is that? Was and is project management of transformation processes an (almost) unsolvable challenge? Even if many employees are on fire for transformation projects, it can feel like heaven or hell…

Blockages for development and transformation

What are the most stubborn blockages for development and transformation and what must be consciously overcome in order to get projects through?

The co-founder and long-time managing director of Haufe-umantis Hermann Arnold recorded four major obstacles to development and transformation in his book “We are boss – how an invisible revolution changes companies”. In the following, these 4 blockages are to be highlighted, enriched with personal experiences:

1. The clay layer

When the company management cannot lead

• The top management makes this layer of clay (middle management levels) responsible for it
  • that employees cannot be led directly
  • that tools to make real change are very rare and
  • that changes take far too long and measures only take effect when they are almost out of date
• Employees blame this layer of clay for this,
  • that their ideas and suggestions are not heard
  • that top management is far too far removed from day-to-day business and the real problems
  • that many of the decisions made “above” hinder rather than facilitate their work and
  • that constant change processes and reorganizations slow down internally and create no added value
• The middle management is exactly in this layer of clay
  • with what feels like limited options for action
  • with increasing pressure from above and almost unattainable expectations from below
  • with more criticism than praise from all sides

Thus, top management, middle management and employees feel restricted and powerless by a system to really actively shape the future of the company. This can lead to broad resignation in the company despite a fire and flame attitude towards transformation projects – will, good intentions and ability.

2. The entrenchment

When silos are reinforced instead of broken down

• Due to the increasing pressure, teams and units in a company concentrate on their own work, against the completion of which they are also measured, and see overarching projects or problem solutions for other teams as an obstacle to their own goal achievement
• Increasing specializations lead to increasing alliances of like-minded people and failure to understand other teams of experts (sales, quality assurance, accounting, research & development, etc.)
• The dynamic and unsafe environment increases the focus on Focus on one’s own work areas, in which one can still have the feeling of as much control and expertise as possible

Forming interdisciplinary teams and thus breaking down silo thinking are among the basic tasks of any project responsibility in the start-up phase of a project. The aforementioned blockage leads to an intensive start-up phase, which will, however, be decisive for the success of the entire project!

3. The agility trap

When the organization is too slow for the market environment

• The pressure and urgency of the need for change lead established companies to try to implement new, successful organizational concepts as quickly as possible
• Inspired by tech giants (Apple, Google, Facebook, etc.) or young companies, Agile, Scrum, Lean Start-Up, Holocracy, Co-Creation, etc. should be implemented
• The inertia of established organizations and the day-to-day business, which must bring income and profit, as well as the lack of necessary skills usually prevent successful implementation

4. The innovation gap

When companies are left behind

• Innovations outside of companies develop much faster and with a higher frequency than within companies
• Employees often have better technologies, more professional tools and modern forms of organization in their private lives than in their own company
• The courage to try new things, to use unusual methods, processes and tools and to work together across organizations is severely hampered by fear of failure and numerous regulations

In sum, all these factors mean that projects and transformation plans are always confronted with strong headwinds, even when using proven and / or new project management methods and instruments. In this context, parameters such as:

• Recognizable meaningfulness in the work activity
• Opportunities for further development
• Design freedom and decision-making powers and fun at work

In order to achieve the goal, a conscious handling of blockages for development and transformation and an investment in the alternative accelerating factors are essential. This is a challenge for corporate executives and executives alike, based on the American manager Lee Iacocca: “Most executives hesitate to let their people run with the ball, but it’s amazing how fast an informed and motivated person can run“.

It is precisely this “letting go” that kickworkx supports with MATE, the Micro-Accelerator for Transformation and Employee Development. With the easy to use (start immediately from 1 idea) and inexpensive “as-a-service” tool, managers give their employees exactly the right mix of structure, inspiration and expert guidance to turn new ideas into results step by step – without neglecting their actual job.

Source:

• Arnold H. (2016), We Are Boss: How an Invisible Revolution Changes Companies, Haufe Lexware
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