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3 Myths That Underlie Transformation Theater
In March of this year, Bill Anderson, pharma giant Bayer’s CEO, wrote in Fortune that the 160–year old company was at a “crossroads.” He outlined steps he was taking to battle the bureaucracy that’s plaguing the firm, such as slashing red tape, eliminating levels of hierarchy and decentralizing decision making.
Many cheered his stand against the status quo, but I was skeptical It seemed more like transformation theater than a real transformational initiative. In particular, I was struck how Anderson’s plan reflected telltale signs, such as a false sense of urgency, a rushed process and an over-publicized launch.
I was surprised to find that many agreed with me. We’ve seen so many “celebrity CEOs” like “Chainsaw” Al Dunlap at Sunbeam, Bob Nardelli at The Home Depot, and Eddie Lampert at Sears, talk big and then fail miserably, that it seems that we’re not as likely to be taken in. Yet just as important as noticing the pitfalls, we need to acknowledge the underlying fallacies.
Myth #1: Change Is Linear — The Faster You Start, The Faster You Will Go
Successful managers tend to look at change initiatives as they would ordinary projects: You start with an objective, identify milestones along the way and develop a timeline in order to keep things on…
