Let’s talk about transformation projects positively

This article is written by Victoria Camp at Local Partnerships.

• The problem: Transformation or change fatigue is a real problem in helping solve some of the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) issues we face today in the public sector.
• Why it matters: The approach and language used are exacerbating the issue and creating a focus on division rather than delivery.
• The solution: A re-branding of transformation.

I have over two decades of experience in the transformation, change and transition space and I have picked up some really common themes in that time which I have openly shared. A new theme is emerging for me now and it’s related to the fundamental idea of transformation.

I believe evolution might be the new form of transformation where we focus on what’s going well.

Transformation strategies and initiatives have varying levels of success in all sorts of organisations, and in my mind, they fall into two categories:

Burning platform – legislation, regulation, bottom line, customer demand, staff changes or any reason (the WHY), can create a tangible and real timeline for change and you will see it happen. Think about how we couldn’t fail but act on Covid-19 and you have the right idea.

Filling sink – slow, generational programmes that require long-term thinking and short-term delivery and yet the pace and scale of change are minuscule; the sink will fill but it will take a very, very long time. Climate change is an excellent example of this type of transformation where progress is slow, opinions are divided and funding is limited. Some organisational transformations will fit into this category and whilst publically they will be badged a success, the real changes might be quite hard to determine.

Tackling underlying assumptions about transformation

When I moved to Wales where there was a much stronger focus on transformation, particularly commercialisation, I felt a very strong backlash to the language and programmes I was trying to set up. People felt hurt that they needed to be transformed, that their services needed transformation and that their teams — their work families — might need to transform into something they no longer recognised, and it was too much for many to process. That makes sense because when we are told something needs to transform there is an underlying assumption that there is something fundamentally wrong with that thing:

• Your team needs to transform to be more efficient = your team is inefficient.
• Your service is undergoing a transformation = your service no longer does what it is supposed to and so much will change.
• A transformation strategy will help us deliver for the future = we are not currently delivering.

One of the greatest and most consistent things about humans is our ability to adapt and evolve and it’s this language I think we need to bring into the change space to help people acclimatise and see that this isn’t about transformation from wrong to right, it’s about evolution from now to the future:

• Your team could evolve to serve more customers = your team is already doing a great job, can we help it be better?
• Your service is undergoing huge evolutionary forces we want to embrace = your operational landscape is shifting, let’s refocus and make the most of this together.
• Evolution strategy will help us create an improvement mindset to continue facing the challenges we face today and be ready for those we might face tomorrow = there is a lot going on, we need to work out how to incorporate that into our organisational DNA.

And so I believe evolution might be the new form of transformation where we focus on what’s going well and how we can evolve these excellent teams, services and organisations into their next natural iteration. Our public sector is constantly evolving with and without strategies, policies and delivery plans and so let’s embrace that evolution and see where some guided help and nurturing might be most welcome.

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)