Experience counts for successful change initiatives.
Arkaro’s corporate veterans know the theory and have learned practice from experience.
Garrett Forsythe & Mark Blackwell
Every organization has a unique culture and way that work gets done. Within a large organization, there are often sub-cultures in businesses units and functions. When change initiatives are introduced by leaders, these cultural distinctives can be enablers or roadblocks towards achieving desired goals.
While the most natural response to change in organizations is resistance, and holding on to current practices and work processes there are effective and proven ways to initiate and carry out successful change programs. A deliberate approach to change is needed, and Arkaro’s approach focuses on two critical dimensions that are often missed:
- Build the roadmap with the team, don’t put it on them. When the team is part of the design, you not only get input that only the people on the front lines can provide, but it becomes their design, with emotional connection.
- Train Leaders Throughout the Organization for Role Modeling. Arkaro’s training modules are more focused than traditional and enable leaders, especially the project leaders, to inspire the organization.
Arkaro is nimble and can follow where the issues are found and adapt as needed.
All initiatives require change management!
New initiatives can be clearly scoped and defined like driving asset productivity or specific cost reductions. Change programs can also be broader such as building an improved cross-functional innovation processes and culture across a business group.
A deliberate approach to change management is required to end the cycles of failures
Research tells us that only one-third of change initiatives reach their intended goals. Typically, programs get off to a fast start, gain some initial improvements and then fizzle out slowly.
With the primary focus on the desired business improvement, cultural considerations are often either ignored or brushed aside as “soft stuff” that “is what it is”.
People change, if they see others, especially their leaders, change. Additionally, it is essential that leaders’ actions are combined with a compelling change story. With change initiated, people need the skills to behave differently, and confidence that managing processes will reward them for changing.
Taking a deliberate approach to address cultural and behavioral considerations is not only smart but crucial to ensure that change initiatives take root and grow and then can be sustained.
Why change programs fail
Initiatives can be derailed at all parts of the change journey – from design through implementation. Often, consideration is not given to how change impacts people, processes and the tools and skills of the organization.
Arkaro consultants have been on all sides of change management, in the line organization being “driven by others” to change, as consultants within the company developing and leading the change, and as external consultants helping to build project teams to develop and drive change. This experience has helped to see what works in part, what works very well, and, most importantly, what to avoid – at each stage of a proposed (and in progress!) change initiative. We use the 80/20 rule to ensure attention is given to the high-priority work at each stage of the improvement roadmap – from concept phase through to a sustainable conclusion.
Building a change roadmap with your team
Every consultant offers a change management roadmap regardless of size, scope and organizational cultural distinctives; but as corporate veterans, we know the futility of forcing programs on people, preferring it to build plans with your team.
Initiatives often do not take into account how the organization culture has to adapt, change and adjust. For example, if fully understanding all stakeholder “must-haves” is glossed over, the roadmap can miss key elements that could derail progress. Also, careful selection of the project team, ensuring members have the “street credibility” needed, must be considered. Roadmap building can be addressed by proven methods, tools and training in a synergistic way with the technical-based improvements that are being addressed in the current organization and business processes.
Key training modules for change management
Leaders at all levels, and especially the project team leading the initiatives, need to model and support the needed behaviors. They also need to provide one-on-one and group training along with the consultant team. Reinforcing the desired “to-state” as contrasted with the “current state” is crucial to begin to embed the new processes, practices and behaviors within the business team and organization. The Arkaro team has honed this down to a few key modules which have been proven to work.
Arkaro modules are customized to leaders at all levels in the organization. For example, a senior leader might spend more time working with the vision, the “why”, and their personal story while a front-line leader might need practical training on delegation, conflict resolution, and effective meeting design.
The bottom line is that experience matters
Experienced eyes from an external view can see the barriers to change that are below the surface and throughout the organization. Creating a change roadmap with Arkaro incorporates these insights that helps to build the case for change as well as in implementation. With a clear roadmap that clearly incorporates the cultural and behavioral aspects of change. This along with the business improvement goals and new practices/methods, a comprehensive change management program has much higher probability to succeed. The change will be more likely accepted, and better yet, willingly received, by the line organization to ensure sustainability and, most critical, their willing engagement.
Garrett has 40 years of experience in business and operational line leadership and commercial operational improvement execution. He has led and managed high hazard chemical processes, large capital project teams, global supply chains, marketing and sales teams, global business teams and six sigma improvement teams.
He is certified as a John Maxwell Team coach and trainer as well as a Six Sigma master black belt.
Garrett is based in Georgia, USA
With over 25 years of experience Mark has global line management and consultancy experience across innovation, product management, marketing, sales and supply chain built on strong analytical capabilities and business acumen.
A 6 Sigma Black Belt, Mark was internal business consultant and productivity business leader in DuPont covering a range of industries including advanced materials, agriculture & speciality chemicals and nutrition & health.
Mark is based in the Geneva, Switzerland area.
Comments
💬 We’d love to hear from you!
How does your organisation approach building change roadmaps? Have you found collaborative approaches more effective than traditional top-down implementations?
If you would like to share your experiences please click here for the LinkedIn version of this article
Further Reading from Arkaro Insights
Explore these related articles to deepen your understanding of collaborative change management and strategy implementation:
- “Strategy is an Adaptive Challenge not a Technical Problem”
Discover why traditional strategy approaches fail and how adaptive methods require collaborative team involvement rather than expert-driven solutions. - “How to Bring Strategy Execution to Your Integrated Business Planning Process”
Learn how to transform strategy from abstract concepts into practical decision rules that guide daily operations through collaborative planning processes. - “Make Strategy Work: The Power of Integrated Business Planning (IBP)”
Understand how IBP creates cross-functional collaboration and “one set of numbers” that enables effective strategy implementation across all business functions. - “So What is the Difference Between Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and Integrated Business Planning (IBP)?”
Explore how mature planning processes require cultural transformation and leadership development, not just technical process improvements. - “The 5 Disqualifiers of Strategy”
Learn practical tools for building strategy with your team using collaborative frameworks that ensure genuine strategy emerges rather than plans or clichés. - “What Should a Product Manager Do? And What are the Key Skills Required?”
Discover how product management success requires balancing market needs with business capabilities through collaborative cross-functional working.
Discuss Building Your Change Roadmap Together
If your organisation is facing change initiatives that meet resistance, struggle with cultural barriers, or need to move beyond traditional “do it for you” consulting approaches, we’re here to help.
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🎯 Start Your Collaborative Change Journey Whether it’s cultural transformation, leadership development for change, or building sustainable change capabilities, our experience-based approach ensures your team develops lasting skills rather than just implementing another initiative.
Contact Mark Blackwell: mark@arkaro.com
Connect on LinkedIn: Mark Blackwell
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"Mark successfully orchestrated a worldwide business performance improvement initiative for the Health & Protection DuPont Division, directly managing worldwide product and asset management teams . In this capacity, he helped increase profitability and cash generation, acted as a facilitator to the process and cultural integration into DuPont as well as directed to embed a Culture of asset management and Six Sigma project management.
His global management capability, strategic thinking and drive for results made him a valued contributor of the management team of the Health & Protection Division"
"Mark’s experience in the area of Sales & Operations Planning has been instrumental in an effort to challenge and improve our existing processes and structures.
His sparring helped us to significantly increase the level of KPI transparency and coherent use of information gained throughout the organization towards improvement of underperformance."
"From the client's view the top three attributes that differentiate Mark as a consultant are:
1. Practical
2. Project based
3. People
Mark helps people adopt the right mindset and change behaviour to make the process work successfully"
"Strategic view, leadership, customer-centric and result driven are key characteristics that I can say about Mark. He has the ability of easily adapt to a new environment and identify quickly areas of improvement that generate long term benefits to the organization.
Mark has developed great set of skills around commercial, product management, supply chain and project management that make him a key contributor to any strategic initiative in the business. It has been a pleasure for me working with him and I hereby make my recommendation"
As the downstream global brewing industry was consolidating, Malteurop engaged into a global program focusing on asset productivity and cost reduction to ensure sustainable profitability.
The organisation was motivated for change and many project concepts soon emerged. However, it soon became clear that there was a need to structure program management, with common rules for shop floor and top management teams regarding project selection and prioritisation. In addition there was a need to design a forecast system connecting leading KPIs with planned savings and ensure that resources were deployed effectively.
This is where Mark's contribution proved to be highly valuable. His analysis skills, his ability to interact empathetically with all levels of the organization and lay down an unbiased diagnosis combined with his vast continuous improvement toolbox and business transformation experience applied to our specific case were key to the success of the Malteurop program deployment.
“Working with Mark has been a very enriching experience. He’s very structured in his approach when addressing a new project. Driven to get excellent results, he respects the promised deadlines and is a quick learner.
Open to new ideas and comments, he brings a refreshing view and analyzes challenging issues from many different angles to find the optimal solution, always striving to make decisions based on data and not feelings.
Mark has excellent communication skills with colleagues and customers alike, which is key in nourishing motivation and commitment. Mark is proficient in optimally balancing the needs and goals of the organization with those of the customers.”
"The coaching process with Garrett really opened me up to a new level of self-reflection and personal growth that I had not considered. Working through some of my issues and challenges through insights of strengths, personality and emotional intelligence gave me new practical approaches and perspectives. Definitely a worthwhile endeavour!"
"Thanks Garrett for the coaching and assistance with my job transition process. I want to express my sincere gratitude for your support and networking guidance. I'm now able to start my new role with new insights and approaches." "Thanks Garrett for the coaching and assistance with my job transition process. I want to express my sincere gratitude for your support and networking guidance. I'm now able to start my new role with new insights and approaches."
“I have observed Mark when he worked with my colleagues on driving and facilitating new product development projects. He used his special approach to engage everyone on the team and that impressed me. Mark is the facilitator who would be needed for an organisation wishing to effectively drive innovation.”
