How does transformation succeed in a company? In our six-part series, we present the five crucial cornerstones and how they interact. Our approach: simple, efficient, successful.

Our journey began with a clear target picture as a north star, then established a functioning structure as a compass and lastly showcased self-organisation for effective implementation. After all, it is the power of collaboration that ultimately determines how a transformation is implemented.

Collaboration that inspires.
Even more important than what you do is how you do it. After serfdom was abolished in Germany in 1817 by King William I, transformations are most successful when employees really desire them. And this is regularly the case when they receive appreciation and recognition as well as involvement and creative freedom. With the following three guidelines, this can also be achieved in business practice:

Dynamic agility

Using agile management methods, the complex programme is broken down into motivating individual parts (‘products’), and implementation is approached in many small steps (‘sprints’), for which an objective and expected results (‘key results’) are always defined.

Courageous empowerment

A clear responsibility (‘owner’) is assigned for each small sub-area and combined with an extraordinarily generous empowerment: employees, even in low hierarchies, are given responsible tasks and at the same time a great deal of trust.

Rigorous transparency

Mistakes are allowed! But all milestones are coordinated across departments and the work results and the current status are always documented using tools. Any deviation is immediately visible and, in the self-organisation presented above, is solved collaboratively in the team.

Suddenly everything is running smoothly: employees are motivated, often even proud of their work results, and they all pull together. The high level of transparency and the daily visible progress put managers at ease. The transformation is a success.

As we present to you in our first four articles, digital transformation is not just about buying an IT solution. Nevertheless, modern technology is ultimately needed to roll out the new business model in a modern, efficient and scalable way.

1 | Target picture that motivates.
2 | Structure that works.
3 | Self-organisation that works.
4 | Collaboration that inspires.
5 | Technology that scales.
6 | Networking five cornerstones for a successful transformation