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The Language of Business Transformation Leaders

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The Point: You know you need to change, and developing the strategic plan for business transformation is part of the process. At Tip of the Spear Ventures’ consulting firm, the Zeroing Agency, we’ve spent thousands of hours with clients building their business transformation case. But there is an often overlooked aspect to the process — How and what you will say it! So in this post, we’ll explore the language of business transformation leaders… Enjoy!

language of business transformation leaders

Language of Business Transformation

Language of Business Transformation Leaders allows them to share key business outcomes in a clear and compelling manner. Transformative communication is a powerful tool for business executives to facilitate cultural and business change. It can be used for defining a vision, creating a mission statement, and crafting company direction. This facilitates the sharing of strategic objectives and related actions for improving organizational performance. It also empowers business executives with information regarding risks and opportunities for improving business impact and profitability.

The development of transformational language needs to take into account the organization’s culture and values. It should be flexible enough to meet the evolving organizational context. It should also inspire leaders to consider different ways of thinking and acting. In addition, business executives should be capable of communicating effectively and persuasively within a professional context.

Looking to Transform Your Business?

Download your 37 page | 128 question Business Transformation Self-Assessment Workbook!

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A Transformational Approach for Business Transformation Leaders

A Transformational Approach is necessary for business leaders to consider different business models and explore different ways of implementing change. It helps them identify business opportunities and evaluate alternatives. It leads business leaders to evaluate their own behaviors and effectiveness in achieving desired business results. It encourages them to develop new skills, enhance their emotional intelligence, and build new networks.

The primary goal of transforming a business is business success. The second goal is avoiding business failure. Transformational language allows business leaders to recognize the difference between the desired business outcome and the possible circumstances that may otherwise arise.

The Language of Transformational Marketing

The language of business transformation helps business leaders think about and act on different business scenarios. The goal of transforming business is to bring about organizational excellence. It also involves creating business solutions and policies to deal with problems of the business environment. To achieve business success, transformational leaders should be able to make the right decisions.

The Mechanics of Transformational Thinking

Transformational thinking can help leaders create the right decision. If a decision does not work out, it should not be continued. Transformational thinking in business therefore helps business managers avoid ineffective actions and select actions that lead to business outcomes. The language of transformational marketing encourages business leaders to be flexible and take corrective action as situations arise. It enables them to overcome obstacles and manage change effectively.

The language of business transformation focuses on the relationships among people within a business. It helps business managers to determine the root cause behind business failures and select the best possible actions to achieve business goals. The focus in transformational thinking is on the long term business outcomes. In the long run, the best business outcome is when the business is run efficiently. It results in the creation of value for the stakeholders.

Transformational thinking in business has the ability to improve the personal and professional lives of business leaders. It empowers business leaders to think critically and act responsibly. Transformational language of business helps business leaders develop and improve their skills and knowledge base. The language of business transformation facilitates communication between different people in a business. It also helps business leaders understand their interrelationships with other people and develop a more strategic approach towards their interactions.

Business Transformation Language that Motivates, Inspires & Attracts

Transformational thought processes to support collaborative problem solving and seek to establish clear targeting of future goals. They promote trust, build internal strengths and create a positive image. Transformational thinking and language of business have the ability to create positive images that motivate, inspire and attract followers. Transformational thinking and language of business help business leaders to plan for and achieve future business outcomes. It is an important component of business success.

A business outcome cannot be determined by a single decision. It is determined by a series of decisions and actions taken in a particular business environment. In order to make a business outcome happen, the planning process requires a commitment of time, energy and resources. Language of business transformation facilitates collaboration among business stakeholders, resulting in the adoption of important business decisions.

Language of business transformation can be used to describe and measure a business’ performance. The value of transformational thinking and language of business is evident in the fact that they are used not only by business leaders but also by ordinary employees. It has the ability to create harmony and understanding among people. The results of successful language of business transformational processes can be seen in increased productivity, improved employee relations, and an overall sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. A business needs extensive communication with its employees and external business partners in order to reach its business outcome.

SUMMARY

The Language of Business Transformation Leaders help them to lead their organizations successfully by building an inclusive culture, which is comprised of everyone from the boardroom to the frontlines. An inclusive culture is one in which everyone is invested in the success of the business and works together as a team to achieve business goals. Language of business transformation facilitates communication, promotes trust and understanding. It provides individuals with the ability to communicate about problems in a constructive manner and encourages them to contribute to the growth of the business.

Sam Palazzolo

How to Build Capability to Power Business Transformation | Part 3

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The Point: A program that encourages productive behavior and skills in employees can be a powerful tool for boosting the organization’s productivity. It is also an important element of any successful business transformation. So why do so many leaders get it wrong? In this series, we’re going to explore building employee capabilities, or skills for business transformation… Enjoy!

Business Transformation_Zeroing Agency

Capabilities and Transformation

There are typically four steps to building capability that support a successful business transformation. First, employees are taught new skills. Second, teams apply those skills to their abilities and behavior change. Third, the organization then begins to improve its effectiveness. Fourth and finally, the company achieves its financial goals and other goals/objectives.

Looking to transform your business?

Download our 37 page | 128 question Business Transformation Self-Assessment Workbook!

DOWNLOAD NOW

Business Transformation Common Sense Isn’t So Common

This four-step process would make business transformation seem like common sense when it comes to implementing a capability-building program. However, it’s not a common practice, as we have already noted in our previous posts. Why? Companies don’t prioritize capability-building because the learning outcomes are too simple or distracting, or the key C-suite member isn’t interested. This results in lost opportunities that leave the outcome of business transformation programs up to chance.

Business Transformation Ineffectiveness

However, business transformation programs that focus on skill building are often ineffective. A Tip of the Spear Ventures survey of 120 business executives found that nearly 80 percent of respondents believed capability building was very or extremely important for the long-term success of their businesses. This is an increase of 59 percent from before the COVID-19 pandemic. Only one-third of the respondents believed that capability-building programs are successful in reaching their business goals and maximizing their impact on the economy.

A Business Transformation Case Study | Take 1

An international manufacturing corporation’s business transformation experience shows how a strong capability-building program can drive transformation. The company was in the bottom quartile of its OHI score. Within four years, the company’s OHI score had more than doubled and placed it in the second quarter.

The company’s issues of accountability and business unit communications — which were the main causes of its problems — changed the ground-level impact. Roughly 5,000 new ideas were generated by employees who are now engaged, many of which had a positive impact on the bottom line.

These ideas for improvement were a great asset to the company and helped more people achieve their goals. The company’s former Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) stated, “We can’t view everything from up here.” In other words, sometimes great ideas come from deep within the departments of a company. Leadership can help frontline employees develop their capabilities and give them the opportunity to champion an idea and be recognized for their efforts.

A Business Transformation Case Study | Take 2

Another case showed the importance of capability-building in business transformation. A module of capability-building program on effective meetings saved 2 to 3 percent of time in their employees’ schedules. This may not seem like much on an isolated incident episode, but it adds up over a year in the company that has over one thousand employees.

The company’s capability-building efforts made it more agile than its peers. One example was when a group of capability-building workshop participants sat down and predicted what black-swan events could adversely impact the plant in the next year. One of the results was a category 5 hurricane. This is not an everyday or even annual occurrence. The company had to prepare for this contingency by purchasing extra equipment and creating special procedures. As a result, the plant was back online in weeks after an actual hurricane struck. The sixfold increase in shares after implementing the transformation and the capability-building that supported it was also associated with a shorter time span of four years.

Business Transformation Research

Research points to the power and effectiveness of capability building, despite some anecdotal evidence. Recent Tip of the Spear Ventures research showed that employees who engage in capability building during organizational transformations have an effect on organizational health. Exposing at least 10% of their employees to these programs was twice as likely for success as organizations that did not. The average improvement rate was nine percentile points, versus zero improvement. The organizations that had more than 30 percent of their workforce participate in formal capacity-building programs increased by an average 12 percentile places.

These economic benefits are real. Our analysis revealed that companies that included more than 30% of their workforce in capability-building programs enjoyed total shareholder returns of 43 percent higher than the benchmarks after 18 months. The benefits are not only for employers, but also flow back to employees. It turns out employees actually love learning new skills!

SUMMARY

It is difficult to implement and sustain business transformations. Many thousands, sometimes hundreds, of thousands of employees need to be involved and aligned regardless of their location, language or culture. Organizations can develop the mindsets and behaviors necessary to drive a change and reach their full potential through capability-building programs that are effective.

Sam Palazzolo

The Leadership Challenge: Complacency – 4 Tips!

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The Point: We’ve all been there before… Things are going well and perhaps the last thing we should entertain is a moment of change. After all, what could we possibly gain (and only risk loss) by changing? However the go/no go decision regarding change is rarely within a leader’s control, and as such change becomes a necessary contingency planning skill. So how can you, as a leader, offset the comfortable confines of complacency effectively? In this post we’ll take a look at complacency from a change perspective and provide four (4) tips to offset its lethargic state… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge: Complacency – 4 Tips!

The J Curve of Change Management

It’s been nearly a dozen years (Yikes!) since I sat with Dr. Jerry Jellison of the University of Southern California (USC) about dealing effectively as a leader with change. His book, “Managing the Dynamics of Change” provided the backdrop for our conversation during a leadership development program I was participating in. The “J” Curve of Change represents five (5) stages of change that can be mapped out from a performance/productivity stance over a series of time (See image). The J Curve of Change Management consists of a series of troughs and peaks, but oddly enough begins with a relatively morose and non-descript path of performance. While this “complacency” phase can best be described as one where action is taking place, there is relatively no performance/productivity change (for better or for worse).

So Why Exactly Change?

With tears in her eyes a participant in a cross-functional (multi-departmental) change team cried out “Why are you making us do this?” It wasn’t me, her leadership team, or my consulting firm (at the time) that was making this organization change possible to create the water works show. What was causing the change-moment (as I liked to call it) occur was the evolving market conditions.

If you can identify the source of the change moment (i.e., the real answer to “Why are you making us do this?”) you have the opportunity to not only overcome the many change obstacles that are presented to you, but also shorten the associated change timeline (and therefore create positive productivity/performance). So what are the possible causes of change? Here is an abbreviated list of what I see most commonly causing change in business today for leaders:

  • Technology
  • Education (Personnel/Consumer)
  • Personnel Skills
  • Competition
  • Product/Service Pricing
  • Product/Service Offering(s)
  • The Customer (Darn them!)
  • Regulations/Laws
  • Leadership ADD/Leadership ADHD
  • Finance/Accounting
  • Leadership Ego/Pride
  • The News/Press

4 Tips to Overcome The Leadership Challenge Complacency

While the list of potential causes of change has been abbreviated above, you hopefully get the impression that there can be an overwhelming variety/scope/scale of change inducing moments. So should you as a leader attempt to get ahead of the change curve and always be refining (or attempting to move in a positive change direction?) I’ve compiled the following 4 tips to overcome the leadership challenge of complacency to help you, as a leader, be successful in your complacency change initiatives:

Tip #1 – Manage by Measuring

It’s important to know not only where you are going (in alignment with corporate mission/vision/values of course), but perhaps even more important to know where you are at (and don’t forget where you came from, but that’s a post for another time!) Capturing consistent metrics will allow you to identify this current state, and establish a game plan for how you will get to where you want to go.

Tip #2 – Contingency Plan

If you are in a complacent state, some would argue that this in and of itself is a problem (after all, you are not getting better or worse). Therefore it’s important to identify current/future problems that could/should/might occur as well as their appropriate solutions.

Tip #3 – Recruit Support (Before You Need It!)

Let’s face it… Change is difficult for a variety of reasons. In the thick of change initiatives it’s important to have support from key stakeholders in the organization (Those that are organization chart superior, equal, and subordinate in location). These support personnel could also alert you to change before your metrics identify them.

Tip #4 – Focus

Keeping your “eyes on the prize” is a great analogy for overcoming complacency in the workplace. Where you want to head will allow you to insure that you keep pointed in that direction, as well as provide you with insight into how to get there.

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve taken a look at complacency from a change perspective and provide four (4) tips to offset its lethargic state. If the overriding goal of change management is to provide a “better” alternative in regards to where you started from, overcoming complacency is a crucial first step.

 

Sam Palazzolo

Leadership Challenge: Change Management Success Factors

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We see study after study talking about what are those magical three elements that are going to magically make your leadership challenge of change initiatives successful.  What are those top three things that could be considered Change Management Success Factors? In our minds, they are:

  1. Leaders – Leaders sponsor and champion the change effort. Leaders are behind change management publicly.  Leaders are behind the change initiative in their communications, in their actions and in their behaviors. Leaders are out in front championing the change.
  2. Vision – A clear and compelling vision and case for change, and a strong communication plan in place behind that change management vision. People anymore are not like sheep going off to do their job.  People today are interested in knowing that what they do is in service of the greater good of the company. That means that in any change management initiative, a leader is going to have to stand up and have a clear and compelling case for who are we, what are we about, and why are we doing this.
  3. Engagement – So if you have leaders standing up and saying “This is why we’re doing this… This is what we’re doing… This is how you can be a part of this journey” this will invite people to come and be a part of the change.

That engagement becomes the platform, along with leadership alignment and the clear case for change that really becomes the platform for making change stick at the end of the day. When it’s all said and done, change that sticks and achieves desired results is what you should be after (No magic there, right?)