Business Transformation and Business Architecture is really hot right now.
In a recent post, 70% of C-Suite executives stated that Business Architecture was the key to their Business Transformation success, led by Business Architects (we call Business Transformersโโโbecause a Business Transformator is part-strategist, part-designer, part-collaborator and part-negotiator, who have moved beyond just design, and includes oversight of implementation, stakeholder management, coordination and negotiation).
If youโve worked on strategy development or strategy implementation and ensured that theyโre aligned with the businessesโ design and technologyโโโthen youโre probably a Business Transformator.
If youโve worked on strategy development or strategy implementation and ensured that theyโre aligned with the businessesโ design and technologyโโโthen youโre probably a Business Transformator.
Heath Gascoigne Tweet
Business Transformators are people who transform the business, but would you want to be a Business Transformator?
The Business Transformator is often the hero, who comes in to save the day (or programme, but mostly the business transformation from certain failure), but it is not without its challenges.
As a Business Transformator you are required to wear different hats:
- A Fireman hat,
- A Policeman hat,
- An Architect hat, and
- A Coach hat.
In this post, we will discuss the four (4) reasons (and different hats) why not to be a Business Transformator.
The Fireman
The first hat the Business Transformator wears is the Fireman hat.
As a Fireman, the Business Architect puts out the fires. We not talking about the โburning platformโ firesโโโthat elusive metaphor that was originally a change management analogy intended to emphasis the need or driver for change.
The โBurning Platformโ was taken by CTOs, CIOs and Technology Stakeholders and suppliers and took it out of context, and adopted it as their โ1 sales tool, which would later prove to drive an emotional response and therefore sales for their new and often unproven, and unneeded technology.
To be a Fireman in Business Transformation (as in the โrealโ sense of the word and job), requires a level of bravery and gravitas.
To be a Fireman in Business Transformation (as in the โrealโ sense of the word and job), requires a level of bravery and gravitas.
Heath Gascoigne Tweet
Bravery
Bravery is required in Business Transformation as it is for fighting fires in real life.
In our experience, being engaged and getting called in to rescue the programme that has been operating (or burning) for 6โ12 months, and sometimes 2-years by the time we get called.
The programme is nearly at the end of the original delivery date, it is behind schedule, under scoped and just about out of budget.
The Business Transformators job at this point is to put out the firesโโโthere is no time to waste (time has already been wasted). It is time to cut through the noise, align the programme and get it delivering.
What is happening on the programme however, is the programme (and programme team members) are busy, but its โbusy-being-busyโโโโlike moving the deck chairs on the Titanic, confusing โbeing busyโ for โbeing productiveโ.
By the time we arrive on scene, despite Technology stakeholders being busy, the Business stakeholders have almost but fully disengaged, being dictated to by Technology, the last thing they want to hear is โstop, wrong forestโ (for those that reminder those cartoons).
Thereโs two (2) things that happen when joining a programme late and telling the programme โyou canโt see the forest for the treesโ or โyou are in the wrong forestโ.
The immediate reaction is one or two things:
- Nothingโโโalthough they are out of time, under-scope and out of budgetโโโclearly not working on the right things, or in the right order, they say โleave us alone, canโt you see weโre busyโ, or
- Resistanceโโโshown by the immediate questioningโโโWho are you? Why should we listen to you, and whyโโโwhat you are proposing is any different to the 5 guys that were here before?
It is at this point, you earn your stripes providing clear direction, organisation and structure to get the programme out of the fire, and start deliveringโโโworking on the right things, in the right order, despite the objections and push back you get.
To do this, despite the opposition, you need Gravitas.
Gravitas
The next element of being a Firefighter requires Gravitas.
Gravitas is needed in two areas:
Firstโโโto build relationships and rapport quickly with all members โon the programmeโ (and Organisation), particularly influential impacted stakeholders external โoff the programmeโ, who have the power to delay or stop your programme; and
Secondโโโgravitas is needed to understand these key stakeholders needs and concerns and put an approach together to develop the Target Operating Model (TOM) and roadmap for implementation that addresses their needs and concerns and defend it.
This approach needs to show how the design and physical changes are developed and implemented in the most cost and risk effective manner, and most importantly stand behind your approach and recommendation.
This also includes being open to challenge, criticism and feedback, and to defend it to the various stakeholders, boards and board members that it is the best for the programme and the greater good for the Organisation.
The Policeman
- โat bestโโโโprovide a new approach to deliver the original outcomes, or
- โat worseโโโโdeliver a scaled down scope and deliverables in the remaining time; or
The Architect
As the Architect, the Business Transformatorโs role is to design the Target Operating Model (TOM) that enables the business to execute its business transformation.
As the Architect, the Business Transformator is the Designer, coming up, through consultation with the Business and their ideas together to develop both the design of organisations TOM, as well asโโโthe overlooked part of this role, overseeing the implementation of the physical architecture, to ensure it is aligned to the Design.
What usually happens in practice, is the Business Transformator is tasked with the Design only, and effectively hands it โover the fenceโ to the Business to implement.
The Business Transformator has two (2) roles in wearing The Architect hat:
– Design Owner, and
– Design Steward.
Design Owner
As a Design Owner, the Business Transformator works in consultation with the Business to develop and deliver the designโโโin the Discovery and Design phases of the programme.
Design Steward
As a Design Steward, the Business Transformators role changes from โdesign ownerโ to โdesign stewardโ and oversees the implementation of the โphysicalโ architecture (the people, process and technology changes) that they align to the โdesignโ in the Build and Deliver phases of the programme.
What usually happens, in these โheat of the momentโ states of troubled programmes, despite what was agreed and documented, the programme doesnโt deliver to what was agreed (which is why and how they fail), the Business Transformator with their Architect hat on, is there to oversee the physical implementation that it aligns to the Design.
The Coach
The fourth hat the Business Transformator wears is The Coach hat.
As a Coach, the Business Transformator coaches the programme, through directly coaching the Core Team.
Long lasting effective change only happens when you teach the organisation how to change.
The forgotten issue with Business Transformation today, is Business Transformation is not a one-off event. Industries are constantly changing and evolving. Who was the market leader and dominating one year (or decade) is gone the next? Look at Nokia for example.
The key to Business Transformation and the Business Transformator, is coaching the Organisation through the change, and passing on the knowledge (and skills) so they can do it again themselves next time.
This is the difference between โgiving a man a fish and teaching him to fishโ.
This is the difference between โgiving a man a fish and teaching him to fishโ.
Heath Gascoigne Tweet
Effective change only happens when you take the Organisation on the change journey with you, as opposed to forcing the change on them (the Organisation).
What happens in the former (give a fish) is you are effectively not laying your cards on the table to the Organisation, and they sense (or think) that you are hiding something, that there is a โtrick up your sleeveโ that you will pull out later down the track that will come back and bite the Client, when they least expect it or want it.
What happens in these situations is the Client detects this and is hesitant and reluctant to reveal too much information, they only reveal โhalf the requirementsโ, that the Business Transformator, and the Business Transformation was actually doomed from the beginning.
What happens in the latter (tech to fish) isโฆ you empower the staff, to take control, and own the decisions, that they have both an emotional and intellectual stake in the outcome of the Business Transformation.
By coaching the Core Teamโโโthey act like and become champions for the change. They become the spokespeople for the programme and to the rest of the Organisation.
Now, because they are from the โBusinessโ (as opposed from an external Consultancy, in most cases being dictated to, not consulted with), they are seen by the rest of the Organisation as โone of usโ, which results in increased stakeholder buy-in, reduced change inertia and resistance, and builds momentum, adaptation and acceptance for the change.
If you are up for wearing all the hats of the Business Transformator, welcome to the Teamย ๐
Thank you for reading this!
Sincerely,
Heath Gascoigne
P.S. If you want to join our Business Transformator community of like-minded Business Transformators, join the community on the Business Transformator Facebook Groupย here.
P.P.S. If you want to learn more about business transformation, check out The Business Transformation Playbookย here.
For more information, visitย https://www.hoba.tech