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Why Brand, Product and Company Transformation Often Fails: Reason #1

by Brianna Sylver

Transformation is not an artifact. It’s a change in mindset, a shift in perspective. And, yet, when the challenge of transformative change is called for in a brand, a product or a company everyone wants the answer to be hinged on an artifact—a tool, a deliverable, a process, a silver bullet, etc. Why? Because that feels comfortable. And even more, it feels safe because if feels like you can be the facilitator of change without going “all in.”

Yet, it doesn’t work that way. Yes—you may use tools and frameworks to support transformation, and more specifically the shifts in perspective that have to happen to enable it. But those tools and frameworks are not the proof point that transformation will occur, or that your company or brand is now capable of rising to new challenges and delivering more impact in its marketplace.

What enables that greatness is how YOU change in the process and how those shifts in YOU—and your collective team—support the ability to see creative and fresh solutions, to advocate for what you believe with more passion and influence and to encourage the broader organization to simply make better decisions.

So, why then, if transformation is about YOU, do many transformation-related initiatives fall flat? After all, no one has better control over YOU than YOU!

#1 Reason: You’re not ready or willing to look at YOU

You, and often your team at large, are not fully ready or willing to look at yourselves and inquire about what your own personal responsibility to enabling change looks like.

Change (and thus transformation) doesn’t just happen by acknowledging that you might like to do that. It requires a commitment cycle that begins by acknowledging the facts, biases and limiting beliefs that inform—consciously or subconsciously—every action YOU take related to your brand, product or organization. It then requires YOU making choices and taking actions to overtly challenge your biases and limiting beliefs until the best solution path forward becomes brilliantly clear.

And then when that clarity shines bright, having the guts and leadership to stay the course. After all, transformation is not for the faint of heart. It is not comfortable—for anyone. But it should be charged with excitement and purpose at such strength that doing anything other than advocating for this new vision, would make you feel like you’re selling yourself short.

Your challenge

The next time you are called to transform (or up level) your brand, product or company, I invite you to answer these four questions:

  1. What am I resisting about this call for transformation? What am I afraid of?!
  2. What is my personal responsibility related to this call for transformation? What am I being called to change about me?
  3. What biases or limiting beliefs do I activate daily that stand in the way of this call for transformation?
  4. What next step action(s) am I going to take to realize the end goal that symbolizes a transformed state for your brand, product or company?

These are four questions that you should ask of yourself frequently. Personally, I ask myself these questions at least quarterly related to my business. I encourage you to do the same. I also invite you to extend this exercise to your entire team, as everyone on the team must be “all in” to realize the transformation of your brand, product or company with ease and cohesion.

Stay tuned for Reason #2 related to why brands, products and companies fail in their transformation efforts—and my challenge to you on how to avoid that trap.

In the meantime, should you need support as you lead your brand, product or company through the process of transformation, please reach out (info@sylverconsulting.com). My team and I are excellent at bringing clarity and focus to YOU-led, “all in” transformation. We make this scary, uncharted territory more comfortable. What you gain from working with us? Growth visions for your brand, product or company that YOU believe in at the cellular level and that you’ll advocate for despite all odds.

Categories
  • Brand Transformation
  • Company Transformation
  • Innovation
  • Organizational Transformation
  • Product Transformation
  • Transformation
  • Transformative Change

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