How to accelerate your business transformation

 

Picture this: a company is increasing its revenue year over year but due to rising costs, it struggles to make a profit. In fact, it was heading for a loss that year. After analysing the root causes, the company is now ready to accelerate its transformation journey. But a couple of challenges arise. Driven by ambition, they try to tackle all problems at once, an approach that ultimately falls short… 

As this scenario illustrates, even after laying the groundwork, a positive transformation outcome is not necessarily a given. So let’s look at how we can leverage timing to successfully accelerate business transformations. 

Creating a rhythm 

To avoid spreading efforts too thin, we first need to establish a healthy rhythm around the business transformation. Prioritising a select few objectives instead of trying to do everything at once ensures worthwhile and steady progress – without overburdening those involved. 

So how do we create and monitor the transformation rhythm? By implementing a so-called change masterplan 

Just as with personal ambitions, organisational objectives cannot be tackled and achieved all at once. If you aim to become the fittest you’ve ever been, you understand that a single day—or even a week—of extreme workouts is insufficient. Building healthy muscles requires a balance of intense workouts and rest periods to allow your body to recover.  

Likewise, an organisation must recognise the right times to push hard, to accelerate change, and when to pause, rest, and reflect. 

This is exactly what your change masterplan should outline: an agenda with clear objectives and initiatives for a pre-defined period.  

play

How Gijbels created a rhythm. These videos are part of the Leading Change programme offered by Vlerick Business School. Look at their website for more information about the programme.

Dance to the beat of a change masterplan  

Based on our experience with countless impactful business transformations, we advise organisations to tackle their change initiatives in a span of six months. This time frame specifically provides a balance between short-term adaptability while keeping the long-term progress in mind. Here’s how: 

Let’s say your change initiative consists of 12 projects. Instead of trying to fit those 12 projects in 12 months – try splitting and spreading your efforts. Focus on 6 projects within 6 months first. After this first half year, you create room to re-evaluate and reflect on the past months: What’s the status of each project? Which projects are done, which ones should we push forward to the next 6 months, and can we add new projects to the plan?  

A change masterplan consists of: 

  • Strategic reflection (every year): Review and fine-tune the current strategy. 
  • Recall session (1x per semester): Meet up with all the strategic project teams to evaluate how it’s going and which items might need to get accelerated. 
  • Strategy review (monthly): Consciously work on building certain capabilities, such as creating a Balanced Scorecard, developing knowledge management, mapping out core processes, defining your culture, determining key leadership principles, etc. 
  • Progress meetings (bi-weekly): Have your project teams meet up regularly to discuss progress and address any problems that come up. 
Timing is Everything (part 2)

While carefully crafting your master plan, it is crucial to consider all the busy periods within your organisation throughout the year. Think of national holidays or seasonal peaks in business activity.  

Imagine a construction company trying to push change just one month before the summer holiday – their peak season as customers may want them to deliver the new building before the holiday break. This is a time when the focus should ideally be on the core business, not on navigating major organisational shifts – no matter how great the initiative may be. This shows yet again how crucial timing really is. 

Now that we understand the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of a change masterplan, let’s dive deeper into how to implement the different components. 

Pitstop: Recall sessions 

Besides working towards the defined goals and objectives, it is vital to take time to reflect. As such, organise a recall session after each six-month period and make sure all the project teams are invited. Within these recalls, the progress is being evaluated and the next set of objectives and initiatives are determined:
 

  • Report: What have we done so far?  
  • Evaluate: What are the results?  
  • Communicate: Do we have to communicate the above?  
  • Adjust: Do we have to adjust?  
  • Lead and Learn: What things have we learned so far and can we take with us to the next phase? 

 

Take a closer look: 

Timing is Everything (part 2)

Follow these steps and you’ll be able to make informed decisions about strategies, resources, and new priorities for the upcoming period.  

 

Breathe in, breathe out 

Alongside the breathing-in sessions (strategic reflections once a year), we naturally need breathing-out sessions. 

Breathing in is about absorbing fresh ideas from the outside, just like inhaling air to get oxygen. Unlike recall sessions, which focus on reflection and setting short-term priorities, this process is about adopting a long-term perspective. Considering the current global trends and outlooks, what should your company look like in the next 3-5 years? What steps should we take right now to prepare for this future state? 

Breathing out is the opposite: it involves quickly stepping up efforts for a while. Compare it to using your breath to push out a heavyweight at the gym. This is the moment you do the actual work. Many companies start projects but don’t finish them – similar to breathing in but not completing the exhalation. 

In times of organisational change, breathing out means focusing intensely for three days to rally support for new ideas. During this time, don’t ask your employees to do their regular jobs. Instead, let them work together on several projects without the distraction of emails or meetings.  

We suggest making this an engaging period by sharing meals and playing games – including top executives like the CEO and CFO. This approach not only deepens the integration of new initiatives but also fosters a stronger team spirit. 

Many of our clients hold these intense sessions once or twice a year to increase participation and maintain momentum. You start with your critical mass, but end up engaging and activating new ambassadors. This strategy accelerates the adoption of changes, helping the organisation move forward effectively. 

play

How Gijbels breathed out. These videos are part of the Leading Change programme offered by Vlerick Business School. Look at their website for more information about the programme.

Frequency beats intensity 

Timing really is everything in business transformations. As we often emphasize: It’s not just about the steps. Yes, the steps are important, but the rhythm of these actions is even more important.  

Creating a change masterplan helps to synchronise these changes with the natural ebb and flow of business. It enables you to adjust to busy periods, and align with market changes, and it allows for re-evaluations to boost and grow your critical mass, adaptability, and performance. 

Remember what we said about workout routines? Consistent action is more effective than bursts of intensity.  

By designing a master plan with a rhythm that meets your organisation’s unique needs, you pave the way for a sustainable cultural shift—and, ultimately, a successful transformation. 

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