Business Transformation, a holistic concept that responds in both external & internal forces, which takes harder requests in changing business fundamentals, to improve business performance in the context of shifting industry or long-stretching business failures. The main concept of Business Transformation is about taking purposeful actions at all angles of functional existences to seize the pinpoint opportunities in the currency. Over the work, advanced & enabled - technology plays critical roles in digitisation and in strengthening transformational efficiencies. In the Executive Programmes named Entrepreneurial Leadership & Digital Innovation, held at ESCP Business School, I was trained and equipped with full skills to deliver Business Transformation. One of the important lessons that I have been taught was about Failure. Today, I have completed a contract with a Technology company (confidential ). I was very successful when driving the changes into failures. Why is Failure another form of success in Business Transformation ? Let's explore.

1. Business
Transformation
by Perry Cao
01
a FAILURE diary book

2. PREFACE
Digital Transformation has been discussed & debated, as it
is varied and customised by different angles of business's
context, as well as, it confronts constantly uncertain
changes that occur during its growth. The main concept of
Digital Transformation is about implementing Technology
into all areas of business, resulting in fundamental
changes, such as: operations and values in work.
Business Transformation, a holistic concept that responds
in both external & internal forces, which takes harder
requests in changing business fundamentals, to improve
business performance in the context of shifting industry or
long-stretching business failures. The main concept of
Business Transformation is about taking purposeful
actions at all angles of functional existences to seize the
pinpoint opportunities in the currency. Over the work,
advanced & enabled - technology plays critical roles in
digitisation and in strengthening transformational
efficiencies.
In the Executive Programmes named Entrepreneurial
Leadership & Digital Innovation, held at ESCP Business
School, I was trained and equipped with full skills to deliver
Business Transformation. One of the important lessons that
I have been taught was about Failure.
Today, I have completed a contract with a Technology
company (confidential ). I was very successful when
driving the changes into failures. Why is Failure another
form of success in Business Transformation ? Let's explore!
02

3. BUSINESS
TRANSFORMATION
PROJECT COMMENCED.
OCT 2020
03
opportunity
I came to meet a Europe-based Founder | CEO at his office
to discuss how I could create significant growth for his
company by application of the Business Transformation
methodology. Over the course of 2.5 hours, the Founder
shared his experience and the motivations for founding his
business in a European country. He also talked about his
business expansion in Asia, especially in the Vietnam
market. Based on our conversation, I undertook analytical
work to determine whether the Business Transformation
methodology could be implemented. I took into
consideration the following during my analysis: Failures in
Business, Financing Model and Capability, Leadership,
Failures of Human Resources and Operations, Power of
Supplies & Purchases, and Patience of Growth.
acceptance
I accepted a role as Partner, placing myself as a Chief
Marketing Officer, driving an entire Business Transformation
process, to transforma technical-based production
company into a Technology-Driven MarTech Agency,
leading in Vietnam and Asia countries.

4. 04
Business
Understanding,
Empathy
OCT -
DEC 2020
Hands-On
Experience,
Feedback &
Impactful decision

5. challenges
Strategy: there was no business strategy, no branding strategy,
no G-T-M strategy and nothing documented from which I could
get references for my work.
Leadership: leadership & managerial style was autocratic and
hierarchical, with a complex decision pipeline, power-led
working behaviour, and micromanagement. Business
Transformation requests new leadership skills and ways of
working.
Incapability: under-qualified and junior human resources team
analysed in the positioning map, placed under the angle of
business's growing goals.
Behaviours: Long-standing behaviours towards stability,
processing and hour-based pricing model. Employees retain an
old working process and complex operation for a long time. The
fear of moves and thick layers outside their safety zone are the
main critical points that slow down the transforming process. .
05
key drivers
advanced knowledgeable Founder | CEO about
Technology
technological operating tools
Business
Understanding,
Empathy

6. 06 daily tasks
hands-on experience
leaders talk, create awareness of changes
and why the Transformation matters.
hands-on experience in Marketing projects,
led by giving templates, samples of work,
training and human interactions.
top Management daily conversations
engaged, updated and advised.
bridge the connection between employees
and management boards.
delivering signals of change to employees
to test willingness and reactions.
testing leaderships of management and
department's leaders in real projects.
testing and understanding how employees
work on projects and how management
levels evaluate contributions, values
generated from employees.
employee experience and business
opportunities missing due to the current org
chart and operation.

7. 07 daily tasks
CMO's feedback - major barriers that
roughly challenge Transformation.
constant requests for increasing revenue
financing issues to maintain business
transformation
undeliverable promises for management's supports
wrong expectation for transformation vs financing
growth
autocratic leadership and hardly hierarchical
decision pipeline
unclear structures and directions from leaders and
management
no strategy made in prior, no guidelines nor any
foundations to support employees to move on their
tasks
no business acumen inside
heavy burdens on Founder's shoulders
uncompetitive human resources qualification within
the industry.
CMO's evaluation & recommendation
the business isn't mature enough for making
business transformation
partnering with a chief growth officer is a right
designation
solving & enriching the financing condition is the
essential business work
the power-led behaviour was still working very
effectively in the current business model, process
and operation.

8. strategy & transformation is chosen for the
essential growth of the company
revenue growth positions will be urgently
filled up with more hiring talents
leadership is transformational activity
alongside the journey of transformation.
priorities to empower CMO to transform the
Company, as recommended.
08
Founder's
decision

9. 09
conceptualisa
tion
DEC 2020 -
JAN 2021
bring employees
on-board

10. CONCEPTULISATION
for Purpose, build up major angles surrounding: Business Design,
Business-Driven Organisation & Operation, Branding Strategy,
Product & Service Strategy, Go-To-Marketing Strategy, Map of
Growth, Business Culture, Employment Standardisation, Employee
Experience Design, Financing & Pricing models.
for long-term Strategies, tailored training documents to
departments, making sure languages of business understandable
to the employee's world.
10
PURPOSE
BUSINESS
STRATEGY
G-T-M
STRATEGY
ORGANISATION
& OPERATION
BUSINESS
CULTURE
BRANDING
STRATEGY
EXPERIENCE
DESIGN

11. B R I N G E V E R Y O N E O N B O A R D
a series of new organisations & operations running across departments,
aligned with Founder | CEO and Leaders.
tailored documents are officially announced and sent over to enable
employees get more understanding through detail of guidelines and
structures.
human change curve (denial, resistance, exploration and commitment), has
been applied, foreseen with the first two layers: Denial & Resistance.
constant training for employees and in-person meetings with leaders to
listen more to the opinions and attitudes from employees.
keep all stakeholders evolved in daily conversation to make sure the
changes positively impact their work.
11
DENIAL
RESISTANCE
EXPLORATION
COMMITMENT

12. O B S E R V A T I O N , Q U I C K -
F A I L U R E S P U S H &
R E F I N E M E N T
12
elephant ears to open for any positive & negative feedback
about the new operation & process, from both top down and
bottom up.
daily monitor and correct employees to shape them into the
new process.
encourage ownership & leadership in every employee's work.
pick up some influencing employees to draw out the right
attention of employees.
closely interacting with the MarTech team to ensure the
struggles happened rightly and how they reacted.
determine barriers, drivers and opportunities.
some work failed to show the failures of previous structures
impacting their work.
create positive signals if employees are moving ahead with
the changes.

13. FAILURES
Inappropriate leadership from the top down by resisting the hard
managerial and unchangeable behaviours towards sufficient
conditions of Transformation.
Entrenched behaviours from the bottom up, with Denial & Resistance
powered by human mistakes and personal interests. Whether
employees are happy in words, safety zones and cultural working
style caused harder challenges for Business Transformation.
Wrong expectation and misalignment in transformational work
deliver wrong judgements for contracting partnership and task
assignments.
Failures and
Contracting
ends.
13
CONTRACTING ENDS
Payment, Respect and Support for a Transformation maker aren't
worth the company's prioritised issues. Employees can have more
benefits if there is no payment for the role.
Complexity of contemporary business problems demand new &
right concerns to solve.
Transformation is an unnecessary choice whence the company is
effectively led by the Founder | CEO, as he is a key voice of trust,
endorsement, and decision.
Inappropriate to drive business transformation while the old version
works.

14. Leadership
Human
Human
Human
Human
...
Technology
During the collaboration at this company, I also had a chance to engage in
a talk with a Tech-based Transformer, who is based in Hanoi, Vietnam. He
also did a lot of transformational projects for Northern companies. We
agreed all points described as below, that impacts to Transformation:
human (*n)
14
I composed a failure case study to share my own
experience about transformation. I think it is a
good start for me, and I will keep exploring the
challenge of transformation.The task always
inspires me to bring more energy to my work.

15. 15
I wish to express my gratitude to the Founder | CEO and
colleagues; they gave me an opportunity to work in this area I am
passionate about. A young guy with “fewer numbers of working-
years" on a Curriculum Vitae doesn't gain attention from major
employers, but the Founder | CEO accepted the venture of our
collaboration. In my heart, I owe him a great debt
thank you!
The name of the company is confidential and cannot be shared
in any request. The failure case study is written based on my
personal experience and current capability of transformation, so it
does not reflect on the rights and insights of this business. For any
discussion about this case study, please afford me the courtesy
of messaging me in person.

16. Technological incompleteness and human experience
are always the challenges facing today's businesses.
The readiness for any type of company should be
carefully considered and analysed before moving
ahead with transformation and foreseeing the impact
on business that outstriped traditional ways of work.
I am happy to take the chance to engage more
opportunities to collaborate with other companies
in the exploration of Transformation.
thank you!
perry.cao.co@gmail.com
+84 90 636 7749