I had never really thought of all transformations as fragile. I know that many fail. As McKinsey reported, 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet their objective. The cost is staggering. The Financial Times shared: “Globally, failed transformation efforts cost businesses an estimated $2.3tn a year.” Despite this, I had held the view that this was because many companies are making the same mistakes – poor execution, lack of a compelling narrative and not viewing a transformation as a continuum of capability building – stopping the work when there is always more work to be done. The transformation itself could be robust if handled differently.
“Globally, failed transformation efforts cost businesses an estimated $2.3tn a year.”
It was my conversation with Ambroise Depouilly, Managing Partner (CEO) of Deloitte Francophone Africa, which added a new and valuable perspective. He spoke of transformations as fragile. Speaking from his own experience, he shared: “A big transformation project can fail just by one person not being engaged or being against the project. I think that the role of an external advisor is constantly seeking for weak signals and being prepared to take courageous decisions when it’s needed.” I have seen this myself.
Being human
This stance is so powerful because it almost imbues a transformation with human qualities, which you must then be mindful of. After all, there is more at play than data and KPIs. There are also human emotions, including fear, empathy, excitement, nervousness and anger sometimes. Being aware of this means you will be more sensitive to these signals that Ambroise talked about and therefore can act before something breaks.
“If you have the mindset that recognises that transformation is fragile, even when it’s going well, you are aware that things can quickly switch. It just keeps you engaged.”
Ambroise admits he learnt the hard way. He told me: “I recall a very large project. It was a multi-year and multi-million dollar project. There was just one person who wasn’t on board. When this person left the project, all of a sudden the project changed. It was just one person, and I wondered afterwards why I didn’t identify this. I was quite young and I didn’t realise that a project is fragile.” This mindset shift means that he is now acutely aware of the details, including how colleagues are engaging. “If you have the mindset that recognises that transformation is fragile, even when it’s going well, you are aware that things can quickly switch. It just keeps you engaged.”
Listen, listen and listen again
As well as changing mindset, he also realised that you have to listen. Author Travis Bradberry wrote a brilliant post a few months ago about how words reveal your EQ “in an instant”. He shared phrases that exemplify just this, stating: “Most people think emotional intelligence is about what you feel. It’s not. It’s about what you say when it matters most. Pressure. Conflict. Mistakes. Feedback. These are
the moments that define how people experience you. And in those moments, most people default to instinct. High performers don’t. They use language that creates clarity instead of tension…ownership instead of defensiveness…and trust instead of distance.”
Silence is golden
But I would add silence to this list. Sometimes, you need to say nothing at all. This is right from that first meeting with a client to find out what they need from the transformation. That’s how you discover what the drivers are and what’s at stake. You then use this information to build the team and shape the project. As Ambroise told me: “That is how to make sure you find the right people – the right expertise with the right communication skills.” And keep listening – to views, to ideas and to concerns.
“If you listen first, you can then apply your skills where they are needed as opposed to trying to enforce your framework and views in an ever-changing scenario.”
“When you start your career as a young expert, you come with your methodology, with your science, and you try to apply it. But then, time after time, you realise that every transformation is so different,” he added. If you listen first, you can then apply your skills where they are needed as opposed to trying to enforce your framework and views in an ever-changing scenario.
From fragile to resilient
When the team is no longer coming to you, then the transformation has become resilient enough for you to step back. As Ambroise explained, the ultimate goal for the external advisor is that everything you have put into place is working – the chassis is sturdy, the drivers know the route, the passengers are happy and the transformation is moving steadily forward on its own. At this point, you hope too that it is no longer fragile but sturdy enough to not break down even if the road becomes bumpy. This will only happen if you have listened to every stakeholder along the way, including your own intuition.
I don’t deny that there will be some factors that are beyond your control; but this conversation confirmed to me that good, clear, concise and emotionally-intelligent communication is absolutely essential in all business interaction, but especially during the pressure of a transformation. It won’t stop blocks appearing in the road, but it might mean you can swerve them and not end up like the thousands of ventures smouldering and crumpled in the lay-by.
