I have witnessed two ways to launch a transformation initiative.
One is the flashy town hall with branded slide decks, a slick video, and a speech from the CEO announcing the wonderful new changes that are coming.
The other began with discovery to learn about what people were struggling with, identified some early adopters and began work on a scrappy pilot project.
After a year, the initiative with the flashy launch was struggling to produce results. When I was brought in to advise the executive leading the initiative, he seemed surprised by the levels of passive resistance he was facing.
In contrast, the initiative that started with the scrappy pilot project had an early win. These visible results, combined with great storytelling had created a waiting list of teams asking to join.
These transformation programs had the same goals and ambitions but had produced very different outcomes.
The Momentum Flywheel
The best way to drive a transformation is to create momentum:
- Start with small consistent actions.
- Those actions produce visible results.
- People seeing the results become attracted to the movement.
- This growing engagement produces more consistent actions and results.
This is the momentum flywheel, consistent actions producing visible results leading to a growing engagement.
This was the difference between the two transformations. In the first initiative, there was an assumption that a splashy debut would generate enthusiasm. Instead, the launch crystalized people’s resistance to change.
Important stakeholders were clapping their hands publicly, while privately thinking that they would never let change happen in their part of the business.
Belief Follows Action, Not the Other Way Around
Getting people to act is an important way to start the wheels of momentum turning. According to psychologist Darly Bem’s Self-Perception Theory, people infer their own attitudes by observing how they behave. In other words, when people take action, they begin to view themselves as being on board with this transformation.
The easiest way to get started is to work with early adopters. These are the people that already believe that change is needed. When you work with early adopters, you choose a path of least resistance which allows you to generate visible results quickly.
This is the approach that helped the second initiative to gain traction.
While the first initiative was built on expectation, the second initiative was built on active participation.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re about to launch a transformation initiative, here’s how to avoid a false start:
- Start Small: Find teams already interested. Begin where belief already exists.
- Focus On Action: Replace kickoff speeches with small pilot projects.
- Make Progress Visible: Celebrate your success by sharing early wins
- Embrace Newcomers: Invite new people to join you and feel welcome.
The best launches aren’t launches at all. They start quietly and create momentum. In the end, people don’t follow announcements. They follow traction.