Ask Our Experts
Welcome to our FourSights Q&A series, where leaders from across the FourCentric group share their perspectives on the trends, shifts, and strategies shaping their industries. Here, James Cuthbert, Managing Director of Henkan, offers clear, actionable advice for driving meaningful change without pausing business-as-usual.
Q: How do you lead transformation when teams are under pressure to deliver daily results?
Many leaders face this dilemma. The team is already working at full stretch, focused on hitting daily targets, and yet the need for change is urgent. The instinct is often to wait for a better time, when business-as-usual demands ease off. But that time rarely comes. The reality is that transformation must happen alongside day-to-day operations, not after them.
Step one: Commit fully
Transformation requires deliberate choices. Leaders need to ringfence people, money, time, and assets so that change isn’t overwhelmed by daily demands. They need to get people on board. That means building alignment across leadership teams, unions, and the wider workforce. Not everyone needs to agree on every detail, but there must be shared clarity on the intent and the journey.
Visible, consistent sponsorship is essential. Leaders must put their names, time, and energy behind the programme. And because transformation efforts often collapse under competing priorities, it’s critical to identify the “Must Do, Can’t Fail” projects and give them space to succeed.
Step two: Create momentum within constraints
There is no perfect time. Leaders must work within constraints, ruthlessly triaging current initiatives, delaying or stopping work that doesn’t serve the bigger goal. They need to find areas of energy: volunteers, positive deviants, and early-win opportunities. Look for lazy goals, where you can align, combine, or build on existing work rather than starting from scratch. Agree what business-as-usual performance should look like during this period of change. Sometimes that means adjusting expectations to create the space transformation to take root.
Above all, engage the people involved
Transformation won’t succeed unless the people involved understand the vision, believe in it, and feel ready to play their part. This isn’t just about communication; it’s about storytelling, coaching, building capability through real work, and empowering the frontline to own solutions. Leaders need to set the tone, model new behaviours, and shape daily routines to make change visible and sustainable.
And finally, governance matters
A well-designed Transformation Management Office keeps teams focused on outcomes and benefits rather than just budgets or milestones. It ensures progress is visible, barriers are addressed, and the right conversations happen at the right levels.
Successful transformation isn’t about waiting for a quieter moment. It’s about leading with clarity, confidence, and care while the work goes on.
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