How systemic transformation could work in your organisation

I’ve previously talked about systemic transformation being Ispire MC co-piloting a journey with you and your teams to reshape their working landscape in order to achieve better outcomes.

What might this look like in practice?

Well, we begin by first getting to know the landscape as you currently see and feel it. We call this a discovery phase, where we get to hear and explore your working environment as you experience it. We want to hear what’s good and bad about the current state, and get beneath the surface of those stories to uncover what is truly going on. We want to hear of the strategic direction your organisation is currently travelling towards, and how that journey is going. Where are the gaps? Where is there harmony? Why is there dissonance polarised with connection?

These insights, when coupled with our expertise in behavioural change, leadership development and team dynamics start to surface some working hypotheses on where attention needs to be placed, with whom it should be placed, and proposed places the impact of that attention could be seen.

We do this in partnership with those responsible for the organisational direction and culture. Why…because nudging, shifting or re-orienting any direction of travel for a business will have ripple effects across its system, so it’s only right that all parties are aware of the shift coming, and are welcomed into the design phase of how the transformation can occur.

Typically, in the design phase we look to anchor the transformation around a simple framework for change. We prefer a model of Cascading Leadership Development, as this encourages self-awareness and ownership for growth across the organisational system – something which resonates well and engages talent young and old.

We know you have ideas and experience too, and we encourage you to bring that to the table so we can design a transformation approach that is fit for your purpose.

Timing is everything in transformation, so we also pay attention to when and how we initiate the delivery phase. Are there financial year end processes that will distract from how your people go about their work (which would also offer fantastic insights into the behaviours of your system under pressure and strain)? 

Is there a structural change taking place? What impact is that currently having on motivation and morale? Is it the annual vacation period?

There is never a perfect time to initiate transformation. However, transformation can be initiated consciously and compassionately, which in our experience supports the impact we have.

To land that impact, we find it essential to be capable to facilitate in todays’ hybrid working world. We’ve been experts in enabling change through virtual and physical means for over 10 years, so we tailor the way we deliver any transformational program to meet your system where it is. This too increases the positive impact of our system transformation programs.

Most transformation programs stop after the delivery phase, which our experience tells us is why most transformation programs fail to realise the intent they had. Here’s why.

You lead or are part of a living, breathing, organic system which is made great by the humans within it. Bringing new ideas or approaches into that system has a ripple across the business and customer base, and it can take weeks and months for those effects to be seen, felt, measured and reacted to. 

Therefore, our partnership with you continues after delivery phase in the form of ongoing support. We listen with you to notice the behaviours and impact had, and support you in ideating and facilitating further interventions, either uniquely purposeful or continuously subtle, so you and your system can realise the intent the transformation initially had.

Now that all might sound a little wordy – it’s hard describing something you naturally enjoy doing. But there may be enough in here to stimulate your thinking around the intent your organisation has, and how the organisation is making that intent a reality. Would it be too much to ask for some time with you to explore what thoughts have come up for you from reading this?

Graham