Why transformation loses its way when purpose fades
Most transformation programmes start with a clear reason for existing. Somewhere between kick-off and go-live, a lot of them lose it.
For Helen Hartley, Principal Consultant at Definia, purpose in transformation is one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today: keeping it clear from the first workshop to the final handover.
When the programme becomes the point
Programmes need structure. Workstreams, governance, timelines and deliverables all have to be managed, and managed well. The risk is that managing them becomes the job. Teams get absorbed in reporting progress against the plan and stop asking the question the plan was meant to answer: what is the purpose of this?
That “why”, or North Star, rarely disappears overnight. It gets diluted a little at a time, with each new dependency, each change request and each status report that measures activity rather than outcome.
What happens to purpose in transformation when the ‘why’ goes quiet
The effects show up in everyday ways. Decision-making gets harder because there is no shared test for what belongs in scope and what doesn’t. Priorities become unclear and teams pull in different directions. Most damaging of all, people can no longer see the value of the change, which makes it very difficult to ask them to work differently.
The human side of change
Transformation isn’t only about implementing new processes, systems or operating models. It’s about helping people navigate uncertainty and adapt to new ways of working while keeping them engaged along the way.
My own view has been shaped by working in the NHS and pharma during the pandemic. It made me acutely aware of the human side of change. I saw first-hand how a well-intended change can affect people’s confidence, resilience, wellbeing and ability to perform at their best. I really believe that delivering outputs is not the same as delivering change, and that the people on the receiving end need to be supported through it.
Keeping purpose and people in sight
The organisations that succeed tend to hold two things in focus: purpose and people. They keep a clear picture of the outcomes they want to achieve and return to it when decisions get hard. They invest time in understanding stakeholder needs early, build trust and create meaningful engagement rather than treating communication as an announcement at the end.
When people understand the “why” behind a change and feel part of it, the transformation is far more likely to deliver and stick.
How Definia can help
The initial stage of Definia’s approach is critical. Agreeing what a change is for, and who it is for, before anything is designed or built. This gives every later decision something to be tested against. It also reflects a principle held to at Definia: only change if it positively transforms.
If your programme has drifted from its original purpose, get in touch. We’d be glad to talk through what you’re seeing.
