High investments, unnecessarily long lead times, high workload and progress in “slow motion”; symptoms we often see in ambitious change programs.
“Over 70% of change processes in Dutch organizations get stuck without results. Customers do not notice, goals are not achieved and employees and managers lose track.
Causes lie primarily in the approach to the change process and not in the content of the desired change.”
Prof. Dr. JJ Boonstra, Professor of Management of Change in Organizations, UVA
Change programs and projects are often designed and managed in a linear fashion. A starting point is determined, a route is set, and a set of deliverables is defined. The assumption is that if these deliverables are delivered, the objectives will automatically be achieved. But in practice, this turns out to be a dangerous pitfall: organizations steer for output rather than for impact and thus lose sight of their real goals.
The illusion of control
In traditional change programs, although objectives are named, they are rarely translated into measurable values. This lacks a concrete compass for determining whether the change is actually contributing to the desired outcome. The focus shifts to achieving milestones and delivering deliverables, while the question of whether these contribute to the actual goals often remains unanswered.
This leads to a situation where the program takes on its own dynamics: hard work is done, deadlines are met, but progress feels like slow motion. This is the result of a system designed for predictability, not effectiveness.
No room for adjustment
Another problem is the lack of intermediate measurements. Because the assumption is that the delivery of deliverables equals the achievement of goals, they often do not look at whether the change is actually having an impact. Or, if there are measurements at all, they focus on the progress of these deliverables, not the impact. This makes it impossible to make timely adjustments based on reality.
When adjustments do have to be made, it is often done by shuffling deliverables: moving up deadlines, adjusting scope, adding extra work. This feels like juggling tasks instead of working towards a higher level of performance.
The holy grail of linear change
Despite these drawbacks, this way of change is still seen as the “only real” way. Even modern methods such as agile and incremental development are often reduced to a linear process in which deliverables are central. The rationale remains the same: change must be planned, controlled and predictable.
Similarly, concepts such as the learning organization and continuous improvement are often flattened in practice into a series of defined projects with a beginning and an end, rather than a dynamic process in which learning and improvement are truly embedded in the organization.
Changing ‘with’ versus ‘instead of’
Another fundamental problem is that change programs are often seen as something that has to be “added” on top of daily work. As a result, change comes on top of an already high workload, leading to exhaustion and resistance. Change should be ‘instead of’: by redesigning daily work and considering improvement as an integral part.
When change remains something extra, the organization gets caught in long lead times and the energy disappears. Many initiatives die a quiet death as enthusiasm wears off and priorities shift to the delusion of the day.
From ‘doing more’ to better performance
At the heart of the problem is a false focus: organizations focus on “doing more” rather than performing better. As long as change is approached as a collection of tasks and deliverables, real impact will be limited. The challenge is to focus on results and effectiveness rather than outputs.
Meaning:
- Translate goals into measurable values.
- Measure in between and adjust based on insights.
- Embedding change in daily practice.
- Really apply Agile and continuous improvement instead of delineating them as projects.
- Focus on increasing performance rather than simply checking off tasks.
Only when organizations begin to embrace this will change no longer become a syrupy process with long lead times, but a dynamic way of working that actually leads to better performance, day after day!
