22_insights_how-to-avoid-the-transformation-trap-and-embrace-real-change

22_Insights_how-to-avoid-the-transformation-trap-and-embrace-real-change

How to avoid the transformation trap and embrace real change

<h3>5 ways to approach digital transformation so you can deliver meaningful change</h3>
Too often we see organisations begin ‘digital transformation’ as though it were an IT programme. They come with a budget, a list of requirements, a roadmap and a deadline. We know – it’s reassuring to plan like this. But this approach won’t deliver the fundamental change needed to compete with modern product businesses taking on large, legacy organisations for their market share and customer base.
To begin with, I like to think about the business as a complex system. It leads to a more flexible approach that empowers internal teams, mitigates risk and generates long-term, lasting change.
Large organisations are <a title="The Difference between “Complicated” and “Complex” Matters" href="https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/the-difference-between-complicated-and-complex-matters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complex systems</a> of people, processes and tools – messy webs of connections and dependencies rather than neat, hierarchical org charts. No one part works in isolation and all aspects need to be involved in order to ‘transform’. While the focus is often on technology, people and ways of working are just as important.
&#8220;Digital transformation is not a change programme, it is actual change.&#8221; 
Russell Davies — CMO at Bulb and ex-strategy director at GDS
Systems can be compared to living organisms. They behave in unpredictable ways. Change needs to be coaxed forward, rather than imposed – think trying to get a toddler to brush their teeth. If you try to force through change too quickly, in the words of one of our clients, ‘the system rejects you’.
It takes a mix of vision and grit to make it successful. Vision to set a clear purpose, see the future state of the business and get people in the organisation enthusiastic about it. Grit because it will take time, there’s no easy way through and at every step of the way there will be those who want to stop it.
Change is hard. So what does it take to successfully change a complex system?
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<h3>Take an experimental mindset</h3>
You can never know the real impact of change until you try it. It may fix some problems, but leave you with a whole bunch of other problems you didn’t have before. If you take an experimental approach, you can stay flexible and understand the impact of changes you make before committing wholly to them. Be clear on what outcomes you’re aiming for, create hypotheses for how to test them and run experiments. Then adapt based on what you learn.
For example, we’re working with a client to create their target operating model as part of a wider transformation. This future vision gives us an important trajectory, but we’re also starting to move towards it and test it in the short term by selecting specific teams to trial changes, refining the approach based on what we learn, and rolling out the bits that work more widely.
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<h3>Tackle a bit of everything at once, then layer up</h3>
In a complex system, everything is interrelated. This makes it hard to know where to start. Some organisations have successfully taken a big bang approach, like ANZ Banking group, who made all 9000 staff ‘right from the senior leadership executives all the way down’ <a title="ANZ reveals the good and bad of its Agile transformation" href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/anz-reveals-the-good-and-bad-of-its-agile-transformation-523277" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reapply for new jobs</a>. But this is drastic and unrealistic for most.
To organically change the existing system, pick activities that can demonstrate positive change quickly across different areas and that can be most easily scaled in the business.
In recent research we’ve conducted, a Transformation Director told us his team had started by asking a single sales advisor what they could do to improve their life in just 2 weeks. By demonstrating a tangible improvement to their work in that time, he proved the value of his team, but was also able to roll out the same improvement to every sales advisor in the business.
<img decoding="async" src="https://wp.frogdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22_Insights_how-to-avoid-the-transformation-trap-and-embrace-real-change-01.png" width="100%" />
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With <a title="British Gas Idean case study" href="https://www.frog.co/work/british-gas-a-strategic-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British Gas</a> we’ve helped to create a design system that now underpins all their digital digital design work. Starting this task required us to confront a number of challenges – design efficiency, governance, accessibility, and ways of working. By working in this way, we were able to free up product teams to work more efficiently and focus on meeting customer needs.
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<h3>Create strategies to tackle both fast and slower change</h3>
You might have direct control over some things, but others you can only influence from afar.
It might take years to reframe your financial governance away from deadlines and deliverables; or to shift away from hierarchical, top-down decision making. Start chipping away at all of them now. And keep chipping away.
Create strategies for the fast and slow:
<ul>
<li>What will take time and what can be achieved quickly?</li>
<li>How will you tackle both now?</li>
<li>Who does have control?</li>
<li>How can you start to influence them?</li>
</ul>
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<h3>Look to the next 6 weeks to understand what you can achieve</h3>
A long-term vision is important, but it can be much harder to know where to start delivering it.
It’s also easy to get overwhelmed by the size of the task and the interdependencies. Look just 6 weeks ahead and ask yourself ‘how can I make a tangible move towards the vision in the next 6 weeks?’. Then double-down on those changes.
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<h3>Your team should deliver the change, but they might need some coaching</h3>
To deliver long-term, lasting change, you cannot buy an off-the-shelf solution and you cannot get someone else to do it all for you. Everyone in the business has to be part of it. The more ownership your team feels, the more they will engage, own the responsibility and see the rewards.
Outside coaching can help. We have small teams working on the ground with clients, coaching them through large-scale transformations to demonstrate measurable improvement that accelerates progress.
The quicker you can create proof points and make your efforts financially self-sustaining, the easier everything becomes.
•••
Transformation is ultimately about emulating the behaviour of successful product businesses. They are typically purpose-driven, able to scale revenue without scaling costs, have the agility to respond quickly to changes in the market, and value trust and transparency in their culture.
Initiating this kind of change in a complex system takes vision and grit. There are no shortcuts. If you focus on the outcome you want, keep these goals in mind, and push forward in lots of small, fruitful steps, you’re far more likely to make it a success.

Jen Williams

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jen_williams

Jen_Williams

21_insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you

21_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you

Workshops for introverts: 7 tips on how to make them work for you

Workshop facilitation is an essential skill for designers. But for an introvert, the prospect of being the centre of attention for a whole day can be immensely draining.
Being expected to single-handedly navigate the politics and personalities of a large, voice-swallowing room of opinionated senior stakeholders can be terrifying. You’re surrounded by people who can’t agree on anything, whilst at the same time you’re expected to be insightful, engaging, endlessly knowledgeable and dare I say it, fun. That type of pressure for an introvert can make you want to <a href="https://youtu.be/47M0OMXFgR0?t=57" target="_blank" rel="noopener">run away</a>.
Here are some common fears I’ve held myself and heard from others…
<ul>
<li>No one will say anything</li>
<li>Everyone will talk at the same time and won’t hear me</li>
<li>How do I listen and write at the same time?</li>
<li>What if they ask me a question and I can’t think quickly enough?</li>
<li>I see (insert colleague name) running workshops and they come up with such insightful comments in the moment &#8211; I can’t possibly do that!</li>
</ul>
This is exactly how I felt about workshops when I first started out. After running lots of workshops, I’ve learned that:
<ul>
<li>You don’t need a loud voice</li>
<li>You don’t need to do anything ‘zany’</li>
<li>You don’t have to give insights on the spot (but you can still make your workshop insightful)</li>
<li>You don’t need to be someone you’re not</li>
</ul>
Here are my 7 tips on how to find your own style as an introverted facilitator, and make workshops work for you.
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<h3>1. Design your workshop</h3>
Your workshop should be made up of a series of specific activities or conversation topics based on what you want to learn. Designing these activities in advance and allowing appropriate time will give you the best chance of staying in control of the room and on track.
These activities also have the benefit of acting as timeboxes and can help to constrain conversations. You should be clear at the start of each activity what you want participants to do and how long you want to spend on it. You can then use time as a reason to move people on.
<hr />
What to say:
‘We’ll aim to spend 15 minutes on this activity, I’ll set a timer.’
‘I’m conscious of time and I want to make sure we cover everything today. We have noted the key points / concerns and can follow up on this later. Let’s move on to the next activity.’
<hr />
<h3>2. Fill in all the content yourself in advance</h3>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-41103 size-large" src="https://wp.frogdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-01-1024x410.png" alt="" width="640" height="256" srcset="https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235531/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-01-1024x410.png 1024w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235531/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-01-300x120.png 300w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235531/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-01-768x307.png 768w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235531/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-01.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
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Most of the fears experienced by introverts are around not knowing what’s going to happen and being put on the spot. You want the participants in the room to feel as though they are creating something new together. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a view of what’s going to happen.
Give yourself time to run through every exercise in advance and fill in the content, and even better, with your team &#8211; what are the different perspectives of the participants? How would you complete the activities? What examples can you give them if they need help? What questions can you pose to help them to reflect on what they know?
Create a ‘cheat sheet’ and print it out before you go in &#8211; this will give you confidence that you can fill any silences, and give you a good list of conversation prompts or ideas you can contribute in the moment. All this means there’s less chance you have to think on your feet.
<hr />
What to say:
‘Have you considered [insert pre-prepared suggestion that no one has mentioned]?’
‘Here’s a good example to get you started.’
<hr />
<h3>3. Use visual props to guide the conversation</h3>
Having a visual representation of the topics on the wall or on worksheets will help people to see what you expect of them, generate conversation and give some constraints.
Use the walls of the room as a guide to how much content will be covered and how far through you are (this also serves to give a point of focus that isn’t just you).
Good visual props could be a big printed user journey you can fill in together; worksheets to fill in as a group, printouts of competitor products or simply some big sticky sheets, one for each topic you want to cover.
<hr />
What to say:
‘You’ll see on the walls a section for each topic we’ll cover today. We’re going to fill these in together throughout the session today.’
<hr />
<h3>4. Get a bell</h3>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-41110 size-large" src="https://wp.frogdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-02-1024x409.png" alt="" width="640" height="256" srcset="https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235535/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-02-1024x409.png 1024w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235535/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-02-300x120.png 300w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235535/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-02-768x306.png 768w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235535/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-02.png 1504w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
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If you’re like me and have a quiet voice, it’s sometimes hard to get your voice heard in a big workshop, especially if people are deep in conversation &#8211; there will be times when you need to get everyone’s attention and move on. Get a service bell or a buzzer and use it to get attention.
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<h3>5. Time the breaks to give yourself thinking space</h3>
Breaks are for you as much as the participants &#8211; it’s ok to leave the room. You don’t have to engage in small talk to fill the time. Breaks are a chance to reflect on what you need to do next, check on timings and adjust if needed. If you need to use the inputs you’ve gathered to inform another activity later, you can strategically position them to give yourself space to process what you’ve learned, make some notes and work out what you want to say.
Plan in a 10-15 min break every 1.5 hours with at least 30 min (preferably an hour) for lunch in a full day session.
&nbsp;
<h3>6. Say no to a working lunch</h3>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-41117 size-large" src="https://wp.frogdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-03-1024x409.png" alt="" width="640" height="256" srcset="https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235538/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-03-1024x409.png 1024w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235538/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-03-300x120.png 300w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235538/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-03-768x306.png 768w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235538/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-03.png 1504w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
&nbsp;
Someone might suggest it, but it’s easy for them to say when they’re not the one stood up at the front! If you’re running short on time in a critical meeting, you could suggest a shorter break or cut some of the later content. But if you’ve planned it and you’re on track, be firm. Make sure you have time to sit down, eat and even take a walk.
<hr />
What to say:
‘It’s important that the team takes a proper break and comes back refreshed.
If we’re short on time I’d rather de-prioritise or speed up an activity later in the day.’
<hr />
<h3>7. Make it fun without dying inside</h3>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-41124 size-large" src="https://wp.frogdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-04-1024x409.png" alt="" width="640" height="256" srcset="https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235541/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-04-1024x409.png 1024w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235541/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-04-300x120.png 300w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235541/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-04-768x306.png 768w, https://frogdesign.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08235541/22_Insights_workshops-for-introverts-7-tips-on-how-to-make-them-work-for-you-04.png 1504w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
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While it might feel orchestrated to you, planning in one or two quick ‘energiser’ activities into longer workshops will help keep people engaged and make it memorable. Don’t put them in the agenda &#8211; the trick is to make them feel spontaneous.
Here it’s important to find your own style. Some people revel in creating energetic team building exercises &#8211; I’ve seen a colleague end a workshop by beating a pinata to obsoletion surrounded by a huddle of frenzied participants experiencing near-religious glee as sweet treats rain down….This is my worst nightmare. Even seemingly simple ice breaker questions have in the past given me an existential crisis for the subsequent week &#8211; if you’re going to ask people to share ‘what makes them special?’, at least give them some prior warning…
Personally, I avoid anything that involves ad-libbing, acting, dancing, singing or shouting. Try some introvert friendly paper aeroplane races or group counting. And for an ice breaker, try drawing each other on post-its, or ask what was the flavour of their last icecream.
Good luck! With a bit of practice and some preparation you’ll learn to not just get through it but find your own style and learn to enjoy the experience.

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Jen Williams

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