In part 1 of my thoughts on transformational enablers, I discussed the first three enablers: CLARITY, ALIGNMENT and FOCUS.
By Dan Hurley
I referred to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review that indicated the success of corporate (business) transformations. Among the conclusions of that article was that transformations are more difficult than thought. In fact, the results of that research indicated that 78% of business transformations are doomed to fail.
The article went on to define transformation as a fundamental shift in the way that an organization conducts business, resulting in economic or social impact. My conclusion is that any change, irrespective of significance may be transformational. And, assuming that success is the desired outcome of any transformation, the question then becomes, “What can be done to facilitate successful transformations?”. In part 1 we addressed CLARITY, ALIGNMENT and FOCUS. These are the foundational elements of the model.
Six Transformational Enablers (STE)
So, let’s get to the Enablers that serve as the glue that binds, adheres, and assures that the transformation sticks, so to speak. Those elements are DEDICATION, DILIGENCE and DISCIPLILNE.
DEDICATION:
Once the first three Enablers have been achieved a business can reasonably begin to encourage and expect dedication to the transformation. Dedication is defined as the quality of being fully committed or devoted to something or someone. This kind of commitment is often seen in support of a cause. We see it every day in the news as marches, protests, service, etc. This type of devotion to a transformation is not possible without clarity, alignment, and focus. Seeing something through to the end is engendered by dedication. Dedication begets diligence.
DILIGENCE:
Diligence is the constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken. Diligence is perseverance in carrying out action. It is characterized as intensity and vigor in seeing what is initiated to the end or completion. Perhaps this anonymous source says it better than I can, “Diligence is doing what needs to be done with care, concentration, and single-pointed attention. It springs from our desire for excellence. We are artisans, crafting whatever we create, with love. We work meticulously in alignment with our purpose.”
As Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, wrote, “Diligence is the mother of good fortune.” Applying oneself with diligence is to focus intently on completing an accepted task with alacrity and seeing that it is done. It is persisting regardless of distraction to assure that the job is done.
DISCIPLINE:
The last enabler that flows from diligence and cannot be achieved without diligence is Discipline. Discipline is orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior; rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity. I am not referring to correction or punishment of undesired behavior. I am talking about discipline in the context of managing oneself in adherence with a set of rules or within and accepted context of behavior. It is simply following the patterns of acceptable behavior consistently.
This state occurs when those within the business are clear, aligned and focused on achieving the agreed upon results in the desired manner. These three results when combined with dedication, diligence and discipline to assure that the thought achieves the result; that the intended becomes a reality.
As the drawing of the Transformational Enablers Model suggests, the process is infinite in nature. We can always achieve a level of clarity that encourages alignment and allows those we rely on to focus their efforts dedicating themselves to a shared outcome, achieved through diligent and disciplined effort. This is the magic of these enablers.
Happy transformations to you all!
