You can change an organisational chart in a matter of weeks. Changing working habits can take years.
Reorganisation, mergers, changing business lines, the roll-out of new tools, artificial intelligence, cultural transformation…
Businesses have never changed so much. Yet, despite significant investment, many projects are still struggling to deliver the expected results. What do successful transformations have in common?
They rely on managers who are able to bring change to life on a day-to-day basis.
White Paper: MANAGEMENT TRANSFORMATION
📌 Key points to remember
- Transformations rarely fail due to a lack of strategy; they more often fail during their implementation on the ground.
- Managers play a crucial role in the adoption of new practices, new tools and new ways of working.
- Reorganisation, digitalisation or the roll-out of AI require, above all, structured support for staff.
- Developing managerial skills is now just as strategic a driver of performance as investment in technology.
Why is it still so difficult to successfully implement business transformation? ✅
Reorganisations, acquisitions, changing customer expectations, regulatory changes, process digitalisation and the integration of artificial intelligence: transformation projects are multiplying and coming thick and fast.
However, the results are not always as expected.
According to research by McKinsey, nearly 70 per cent of transformation programmes do not fully achieve their objectives. This statistic, which has been widely cited for several years, highlights a reality that is often underestimated: the main challenge is not the strategy itself, but ensuring that teams embrace it.
In other words, a transformation does not generally fail because the vision is flawed.
It fails because behaviours do not evolve at the same pace as the organisation.
Change doesn’t happen in boardrooms 🧭
When a transformation project is launched, a great deal of effort is devoted to defining the strategy, governance or tools. Yet change takes shape elsewhere.
It plays out in team meetings.
In one-to-one meetings.
In day-to-day decisions.
In the messages conveyed to staff.
And at each of these stages, managers play a central role.
They must simultaneously:
- explain the changes;
- maintain engagement;
- manage concerns;
- safeguard performance;
- support skills development;
- and ensure new practices are implemented.
This is a considerable responsibility, one that is often underestimated in transformation plans.
Why managers are often the ones under the most pressure... 🔗
Transformation places managers in a unique position. They must drive change whilst experiencing it themselves. They are both the link between the organisation and its strategy and the first to be affected by its consequences.
During a reorganisation, they must clarify the new roles.
During a merger, they must foster cooperation between teams that do not share the same working practices.
When rolling out a new tool or an artificial intelligence solution, they must support its adoption without always having all the necessary guidance themselves.
This middle ground explains why many projects encounter resistance, misunderstandings or delays.
Not because staff members reject change. But because they are trying to understand what it actually means for them.
⭐️ USE CASE: what a transformation simulation reveals
As part of a transformation support programme, managers were immersed in a simulation replicating the conditions of a major transformation.
In just a few hours, they had to:
- analyse an uncertain situation;
- identify critical priorities;
- weigh up several strategic options;
- manage the emergence of unforeseen events;
- rally their teams around a common goal.
The findings were particularly revealing.
The difficulties encountered were not linked to an understanding of the strategy.
They mainly concerned the ability to prioritise under pressure, abandon certain actions, manage resistance, communicate in the face of uncertainty and maintain collective commitment.
In other words, the same challenges that managers face on a daily basis during real-life transformations.
This experiment illustrates a reality observed in many organisations: transformations are rarely held back by a lack of ideas. They are more often hindered by behaviours, habits and management’s ability to get teams on board.
The managerial skills that make all the difference ✨
As the pace of change accelerates, certain skills are becoming particularly crucial.
Giving meaning 👀
Employees are more likely to buy into change when they understand the reasons behind it and how it contributes to the company’s objectives.
Prioritising and making decisions 🏆
In a fast-changing environment, it is not possible to deal with everything at once. Managers must be able to make clear and confident choices.
Dealing with resistance ⚡️
Resistance is not necessarily a refusal to change. It often reflects a concern or a need for further information.
Staying committed 🔥
Change brings uncertainty. Managers must maintain motivation and confidence during periods of transition.
Developing collective agility 💡
High-performing organisations are those that learn quickly, adapt their practices and turn feedback from the field into concrete action.
Management transformation: a strategic investment ⭐️
For a long time, organisations viewed change management as a supplementary support function for transformation projects.
Today, the situation has been turned on its head.
Managerial transformation is now one of the key factors in the success of the transformations themselves.
At DMM, we support your teams to ensure the successful adoption of change, strengthen commitment and accelerate the success of transformations.
