After dialling up the emotion on my goodbye post, thought I'd close off my escient journey by reflecting on my top three invaluable lessons learned from being 'front and centre' to service design, digital transformation and change.
Prototyping is the best 'low risk, high reward' activity that (most) organisations are not doing. The power of creating tangible representations of ideas and solutions cannot be overstated; by having people genuinely involved in early-stage testing and validation, it gears them towards further refinement and better 'buy in' when changes go live. Moreover, we can agree that the research is in on the power of diversity of thought...so prototyping gives everyone a level playing field to contribute.
What does this look like applied? Well for example: extroverts like me who (when left unchecked) talk fast and in concepts, are able to methodically build out ideas at a pace that still engages others. Those who love the detail and need a prompt to bring their cleverness to execution, now have an impetus to assemble in the good stuff and see what happens. (Looking at you with love, Michael Quast) Layer in touch points from across the organisational value chain (ideally in a customer centric manner) and you really have mitigated a lot of potential risk and generated momentum for implementation.
And what if the prototyping all comes to nothing? Well...better that, than it come to one of those something projects, that live on in organisational folk-lore via grimaces and cringes upon naming.
Consultants and consultancies sometimes cop a cynical wrap, but my recent experience has made me resolute that co-creating and guiding prototyping within organisations, is a valuable role we can play.
It's not cult thinking; agile IS 'mindset first'...if you want it to work
Unlocking the true potential of agile lies in fostering a culture that prioritises learning and growth. Generally speaking, senior leaders need to set the tone (or at the very least, not 'block') for that culture...which means dedicated time to 'unlearn old ways then relearn' an agile mindset in the context of their organisation and its ecosystem. Facilitated well, this really does push an organisation to rethink what adaptability, collaboration and continuous improvement looks like.
'Right sizing' those mindset shift conversations and engaging all the key stakeholders is (in my opinion) the real art.
And at the delivery end...all those tools and ceremonies? Honestly, I'm a fan! I've seen teams find clever ways to listen to their customers, break down problems granularly, iterate rapidly, and deliver value more effectively. If you've had the fortune of seeing a digital transformation gaining velocity and integration like I have...you'll be an optimist for the art of the possible with agile.
I'm now proud to say I'm a Change Manager; we have evolved to being more approachable to 'the business' and clearer in our value to decision makers.
Remember those heavy change frameworks and complicated diagrams of the early 2000's? *author visibly shudders*
I actively avoided the space and tried to stay as a "pure" leadership guy, because I honestly didn't understand what most change managers were academically downpouring onto me and their confused leadership teams.
Fast forward to my time at Escient, where my vibrant colleagues regularly showcased simpler and smarter visuals / tools for each aspect of change - often co-created with client teams. There's an array of pragmatic and effective ways of "meeting people where they are at" to enable change - and organisational teams and leaders are now hungry for it! What a time to be alive.
And that is what I'm most excited about for what's next to come (no...this is not the reveal..such a tease!): living out the adaptable change leader identity. In fact the much beloved change guru Camille Clerc paid homage to one of the pioneers of the space and in doing so, kindly directed me to an underpinning philosophy: "There are two facets to being a change practitioner. First, there is what you do, all the concepts, processes, etc. that are in your toolkit. Second, there is who you are, the character that is at your core, and the presence that gives that character voice as you interact with clients. Being on a Mastery Path requires that you intentionally attend to both aspects."
Change management is no longer just about managing resistance; it's about creating meaningful connections and demonstrating value to decision-makers. I'm all in.
(Sorry I was slow on the uptake with this a few years ago Olivia Pajer and quick nod to IdeaLeap for brilliantly on point visuals about life as a contemporary change practitioner)
When consulting works and when even it doesn't come off as hoped...it's a treasure trove of learning experiences, and these three lessons have been particularly transformative for me. Looking forward to continuing in applying these insights and helping organisations navigate the brave, new, complex and a tad terrifying world that we can all help shape.
Let's chat soon hey?
Mark