Most organisational change transformation efforts fail because leaders rely on outdated maps. I saw this firsthand when a pharmaceutical client proudly showed me volumes of compliance data, yet couldn’t explain why their multi-million dollar decisions kept going wrong. Their “map” was perfect – but it completely missed the disconnected stakeholder relationships that were the real issue.
Orienteering means mapping what actually matters
Take the factory where workers swore a disconnected knob controlled machine tension. Leadership had process maps and KPIs showing everything was “green,” but until we went to the Gemba (the actual workplace), we didn’t see how deeply ingrained this myth was – and how it masked real maintenance problems.
That financial services firm with the superstar project manager? When she left, the whole illusion of efficiency collapsed because leadership was blind to her personal initiative matching customer needs where their systemic capability didn’t.
Aligning your map starts with uncomfortable truths
At a major manufacturer, we discovered org charts meant nothing until changes impacted daily work. When we shifted to matrix management, people ignored the new structure until they suddenly had multiple bosses. That’s when resistance emerged – not during the “change rollout,” but when the terrain actually shifted beneath their feet.
True north emerges from the ground up
My favorite example? A service company leadership that thought they needed better team cohesion. As we started mapping their territory, we all saw the real issue: due to circumstance, management had drifted, teams had taken liberties, strategy was unclear, and they needed to pivot their offerings. Instead of a team workshop, we ended up completely overhauling the strategy, tactics and team skills.
Course-correction is constant
It takes time and effort to update maps, just like the ancient navigators adding details on the charts as they became more familiar with the coasts. Most organisations don’t do it. At Airbus, as our radical transformation extended over years, we had to constantly update our assumptions and ways of working and interacting as the teams’ maturity grew and individuals became more and more autonomous. In the end, they were driving us!
The best compass is often your frontline
Those 30 factory interviews I once initially resisted? They revealed the maintenance supervisor and logistics head – not the managers – were the real influencers. Once we engaged this hidden network, changes that had stalled for months suddenly accelerated.
This approach isn’t abstract theory. It’s:
- Physically walking processes and getting to know people on the front lines.
- Understanding what the root cause is, beyond the symptoms.
- Listening for telling phrases like “they should know” that expose culture gaps.
- Testing assumptions and watching the system respond.
If your change efforts keep hitting invisible walls, maybe you’re navigating by the wrong map. I’ve got plenty more examples where these came from – let’s discuss the uncharted territory you’re facing.
#ChangeLeadership #OperationalExcellence #GembaWalks #SystemsThinking
Through Yinsight, I support companies, their managers and teams in their development with a view to achieving tangible performance that respects people. Creating strategy, working on collective values, aligning teams, managing complexity and interpersonal dynamics, and providing individual and collective support for transformation are at the heart of my work.