In today's business world, often described as the "BANI era" – an acronym for brittleness, anxiety, non-linearity and incomprehensibility - organisations face enormous challenges when it comes to change processes. The traditional management approaches that have worked well in more stable times are reaching their limits in this dynamic and unpredictable environment. Our case study looks at how organisations can develop an internal change architecture to successfully manage multiple transformation projects without resorting to radical restructuring.
Adaptability as the key to success
The world has become more fragile, sudden collapses e are more frequent and harder to predict. The constant uncertainty creates fear and anxiety, while cause and effect are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish. Complex interrelationships make it almost impossible to make reliable forecasts or well-founded decisions. In this BANI world, where yesterday's tried-and-tested methods may be outdated tomorrow, companies need to be agile and adaptable in order to survive and succeed.
Imagine a seal: In a simple world where it has learnt to juggle a ball, it is efficient, precise and reliably delivers results. Applied to companies: In stable times with clear framework conditions, tasks and structures, organisations can act like this seal - and are therefore efficient and successful.
But what happens if we give the seal a Rubik's cube, for example? Suddenly it is overwhelmed. It doesn't understand the complexity and can't cope with the new challenge. This is what happens to many companies in today's BANI world. They are geared towards efficiency in stable environments, but when the framework conditions change, they stumble.
Today, employees must not only be able to perform their tasks efficiently and follow rules, but also react flexibly to changes, solve problems independently and develop creative ideas. Systemic and contingency-oriented management is coming to the fore, where responsibility is no longer limited to individual people or departments, but extends to the entire team and the entire organisation.
Case study: from traditional models to a strong change architecture
Organisations today need a more comprehensive approach that enables them to continuously adapt and change without falling back into rigid structures. This approach is often referred to as change architecture.
At the centre of our case study is a company that was faced with the challenge of implementing multiple transformation projects and establishing an internal change architecture for this purpose. The goal was to create a robust and adaptable structure that would meet internal and external requirements without incurring unnecessary costs or fundamentally changing the organisation. The company wanted to avoid complicated training or major reorganisations that might be met with resistance. Instead, the organisation was to be made more resistant to change in its specific context.
Those responsible quickly realised that classic change management models, such as Kurt Lewin's "Freeze-Unfreeze-Change" Model, were no longer sufficient in today's world. This model may have worked well in stable times, but in the dynamic BANI world it is too rigid and inflexible. Companies need to be able to continuously adapt and change without falling back into rigid structures. The company therefore opted for a different approach: a gradual and closely monitored transformation that is customised to the company and focuses on making it more resilient to change.
The starting point was the "Enterprise" transformation project, a comprehensive reorganisation of the company. The name ‘Enterprise’ was deliberately chosen to create a positive association with change. The Enterprise from Star Trek stands for departure, discovery and the willingness to face new challenges – a metaphor that fitted well with the change process.
Anticipating change risks: the seven transformation sins
At the beginning of a change process, it is extremely important to identify the potential risks that could jeopardise the success of the transformation. Typical challenges that slow it down or even cause it to fail?
1. There is no real reason for change.
2. There is no clear direction.
3. Implementation is only sporadic or inadequate.
4. The organisation is poorly set up.
5. The leadership is weak.
6. There is a lack of competences.
7. There is no fit between the changes and the existing culture.
