According to HBR corporate transformations still have a miserable success rate. In fact studies have shown that about 75% of change efforts fail. They fail to either deliver the anticipated benefits or are abandoned altogether. Flawed implementation or bad execution are often to blame for such failures. However, analysis has shown that misdiagnosis is equally to blame. Often organizations pursue the wrong changes - and in a fast-moving business world it is easy to make wrong choices. Organizations hardly spend the time and energy to identify and drive alternatives - and even if they make time, it is not necessarily in a collaborative way involving the right stakeholders. It is critical that executive teams figure out not only what to change, but what to change first - and what the priorities are. An innovative engagement process is designed to obtain collaboration the from the entire executive team or stakeholder basis to develop creative ideas, understand the data, set priorities and hold the team accountable for delivery. In addition, it gives leadership the responsibility to provide tools required for delivery.

1. IMPROVED BUSINESS
RESULTS THROUGH
INNOVATIVE
ENGAGEMENT
Initiating innovation in change
management
ANTON VAN DER WALT LEADERSHIP THROUGH YOUR
LENS
© Anton van der Walt

2. 75% OF CORPORATE
TRANSFORMATIONS FAILS
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt
2
Corporate transformations still have a
miserable success rate, even though scholars
and consultants have significantly improved
our understanding of how they work. Studies
consistently report that about 75% of change
efforts flop – either they fail to deliver the
anticipated benefits or they are abandoned
entirely
N. Anand, Jean Louis Barsoux – HBR, Dec 2017
What everyone gets wrong about change management

3. MISDIAGNOSIS IS EQUALLY TO
BLAME
© Anton van der Walt
3
Because flawed implementation is most often blamed for such
failures, organizations have focused on improving execution.
But poor execution is only part of the problem; our analysis
suggests that misdiagnosis is equally to blame. Often
organizations pursue the wrong changes—especially in complex
and fast-moving environments, where decisions about what to
transform in order to remain competitive can be hasty or
misguided.
Before worrying about how to change, executive teams need to
figure out what to change—in particular, what to change first.
N. Anand, Jean Louis Barsoux – HBR, Dec 2017
What everyone gets wrong about change management
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS

4. 4
BUSINESS REALITY
• Change management has a poor success rate
• Executing change management effectively, remains elusive
• Change management often occurs in “silos” within the organization, and
the overall impact is low
• A requirement to deliver results over the short term, and set the business
over the long term
• Business models are disrupted by innovation
• Leaders are required to focus on business results AND people
• Due to stakeholder and market pressure, a problem/solution decision-
making process is the preferred option, with varying degrees of success
• Requirement to develop a culture in the organization that embraces
innovation, risks and opportunities – a cohesive high performance culture
Against a background of significant business change, market headwinds,
regional instability, business model disruption and a push to increase market
share, business are confronted with a number of realities:
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt

5. TRANSFORMATIONAL GROWTH 80+
% Brand
EngagementACTION
% Business and People Metric
Improvement
GROWTH THROUGH INNOVATIVE ENGAGEMENT
30
FOCUS
COMMITTED ACCOUNTABLE 60 20
AWARE OWN 50 10
UNAWARE RECOGNITION 30 0
INEFFECTIVE BARRIER 10 0
© Anton van der Walt
5

6. 5 FATAL TRANSFORMATION
FLAWS
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt
6
Following a problem to solution and/or action to
recommendation approach
1
2
3
4
5
Misdiagnose the problem; an inability to seek viable
alternatives
Lack of cross functional engagement to drive
accountability and responsibility
Inadequate tools to deliver solutions
Lack of appreciation as to the effort required to
execute the plan

7. 7
A PROCESS TO EXPRESSLY
CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES
Paul Nutt, of the Ohio State University,
analyzed 137 key decisions in as many North
American companies and found that when
only one course of action had been
considered, 52% of the decisions resulted in
failure. By contrast, when just one alternative
had been considered, the failure rate dropped
to 32%.
7
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt
Freek Vermeulen, Hiro Sivanatham- HBR Dec, 2017
Stop doubling down on your failed strategy

8. Creative
PriorityEngaged
Innovation Alternatives
Execute
Silos
Collaborate
Sustain
Identify
Diagnose
Execute
INNOVATIVE
ENGAGEMENT
© Anton van der Walt
8

9. 9
INITIATING INNOVATION IN
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Is the overall engagement from the entire team
or stakeholder basis to develop creative ideas,
understand the data, set priorities and hold the
team accountable for delivery.
In addition, it gives the leadership the
responsibility to provide tools required for
delivery
9
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt

10. INNOVATIVE ENGAGEMENT
PROCESS IS FOCUSED ON:
• Spending the time and energy to creatively
identify and drive alternatives
• Collaboration which drives accountability and
responsibility
• Common priorities – act on maximum impact
and high pay-back
• Identification of tools required to deliver
alternatives
10
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt
10

11. SUSTAINABLE AND
REPEATABLE PROCESS
The first step is facilitating the organization to identify the issue in its
entirety – the issue we’re trying to solve; the business opportunity; the
burning platform
1111
ANTON VAN DER WALT
LEADERSHIP
THROUGH
YOUR LENS
© Anton van der Walt
4 STEP
Once the problem is well-defined, the next phase is to conduct data
collection. This phase is intended to inform the team’s actions, rather
than affirm them
With the data is on the table, the next step is to make an informed series
of solution alternative decisions on the way forward.
With a solid solution design based on data and rooted in the originating
business case, the team is well-positioned for the final phase to
implement the change
1
2
3
4

12. IMPROVED BUSINESS RESULTS
Workload
RESULTS
INITIAL 30 Days 12 Months
DATA
IDENTIFY
ALTERNATIVES
EXECUTE
© Anton van der Walt
12
METRICS
METRICS

13. TODAY
WHAT DOES
SUCCESS LOOK
LIKE?
Passive
Skepticism
Reviews
Me
Detached
Denial
Stagnate
TOMORROW
Action
Confidence
Results
Us
Accountable
Ownership
Disrupt
© Anton van der Walt
13

14. 141414
ABOUT ANTON VAN DER WALT
Having spent the last 25+ years working across the globe in China, the Middle East, South
Africa, Europe, Australia and Thailand, I am passionate about creating inspiring global leaders.
I work with global multi-national CEOs and HR Directors to create highly engaged teams
across multiple continents to grow their businesses.
As the author of the book Leadership Through My Lens, I help leaders to discover what makes
them inspiring and therefore encourage each team member to become more inspiring to
those they work with.
I write for Entrepreneur Magazine, Leaderonomics Magazine and have a photography blog,
sharing the metaphors and imagery from the camera and how they connect with leadership.
I typically help in the following ways:
• Keynote Speaking at Conferences and Events.
• Mentoring and Executive Leadership Development for CEOs, C-Suite Leaders, HR Directors
and Executive Teams.
• Workshops, Mentoring and Coaching Programs for Mid to Senior Leaders globally.
To get in touch with me to help your leaders and teams, contact me at
anton@antonvanderwalt.com, phone +971 54440 9153 or visit
www.antonvanderwalt.com
© Anton van der Walt