I have just returned from the Everest group “Engage” conference in Dallas, where the topic of business transformation and “end-to-end” processes were central to discussions.

Focus on fewer AND more . . .

That sounds like dissonance, right?

Two articles I read this week resonated with those discussions and this apparent dissonance.

“To achieve lasting transformational change focus on incremental wins” by Oliver Shaw in Management Today.

Espousing the “Pareto Principle”, the article focuses on the benefits of breaking down transformation into smaller, more achievable goals, maintaining forward momentum while reducing the anxiety that often accompanies large-scale change. 

Achieving business transformation goals is only half the battle; sustaining them is where the real challenge lies. Embedding a continuous improvement & innovation culture is the key.

“Successful business transformation requires a ruthless focus on fewer, clearer goals”, from Johan Grönstedt in Management Today, focuses on improving our “execution muscle” and bias for action.

Successful business transformation requires a ruthless focus on fewer, clearer goals.

Any more than two or three ‘most important goals’ is a recipe for disaster.

This resonated with a discussion earlier in the week on reducing the number of performance measures and KPIs. It might be difficult to select and prioritise the KEY measures, but “choices set you free” (Thankyou Angela Mangiapane!).

An MIT study reveals that only 51% of executive team members are able to identify their company’s top three priorities. Yet, according research, a surprising 83% of CEOs believe they have a clearly defined strategy that’s understood by their management team.

The reality is that any team attempting to optimise for more than two or three ‘most important goals’ is setting themselves up for failure. This is a big shift from the current norm, where teams are drowning in a sea of goals and KPIs, their focus splintered and their efforts diluted.

True clarity isn’t about having a laundry list of objectives; it’s about laser-sharp focus on the vital few.

We need to focus on FEWER, clearer goals and measures whilst driving change through MORE continuous, incremental wins. 

You can read “To achieve lasting transformational change focus on incremental wins” by Oliver Shaw here . . . 

You can read “Successful business transformation requires a ruthless focus on fewer, clearer goals”, by Johan Grönstedt, here . . .

Food for thought and action . . .  

No dissonance . . .

Yin & Yang . . .  

Thanks for reading . . .