The hidden power behind every great change

Remember when you were a kid and thought you could conquer the world all by yourself? I sure do. But let's be honest: the most impactful transformations in life or business are never solo performances.

It's a bit like trying to high-five yourself - possible, but not nearly as satisfying or effective as having a partner!

Whether you're trying to reshape your personal life or lead your team through a major shift, there's one truth that stands out: transformation is a collective sport.

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash (yes I'm still using Unsplash and real photos by real humans)

Let's first break it down, and then we'll get practical.

Organisational vs. Personal Change

In organisational transformations, success depends on your team:

• They have to embrace your vision for a better future

• They have to demonstrate the change's effectiveness through action

• They have to persevere through stress and uncertainty

For personal growth, you need people who:

• Support your journey to become your best self

• Provide opportunities and share their networks

• Offer insights from their own experiences

• Give you constructive feedback

• Offer encouragement during challenging times

4 key principles about transformation

I was part of the crew when at Doodle's moved into a more product oriented ways of working, actively co-shaping the change.

I've been helping 2 companies in their major endeavors to becoming a strong product organisations as a product coach for their teams and product leadership for the past 2 years.

And I've been supporting multiple other companies in their change through 1:1 coaching of their product leaders or lead product managers, or training & up-skilling their teams.

These are the 4 key principles I’ve learned about transformation:

1. Your effort starts things, but real progress happens when others join in. Working together makes bigger changes possible.

2. Support from your team helps tackle big problems. What's hard alone becomes easier when everyone pitches in.

3. Other people's ideas speed up growth and lead to new solutions. Different viewpoints often bring unexpected breakthroughs.

4. Facing tough times together makes everyone stronger. Solving problems as a group builds better teamwork and flexibility.

The common theme is: Change is not a solo success, it's the result of diverse people putting their strengths together to move mountains.

Now, let’s get practical: Think big, start small.

Let’s stay in the realm of organisational change. Things that you’d like to change but are stuck on.

Ranging from small things like “I want to analyse product usage frequently and make data informed decisions”.

Medium-sized things like “I want my team to engage more in solutioning” for Product Managers or “I want my Product Managers to be more proactive with their roadmaps” for Product Leaders.

Up to big things like “I want our organisation to be more product oriented and customer centric”, especially relevant if you are a CPO, CEO, COO or org developer.

Here’s a little challenge for you:

1. Think about a change you want to make.

2. Now, list three people who could be part of your "transformation team."

3. Reach out to them in the next 7 days, share your thoughts about the change and ask them if they want to help you make the change happen.

4. Fix a time in your calendars to get started.

5. In that meeting, don’t make plans! Yes talk about how to get started, but use that meeting to make the first active change. For that, ask these two questions:

   1. “How could this look like when we have achieved the change?”
      This is your vision.
      This is thinking big.

   2. “What is the smallest thing that we can start with today, or even right now?”
      This is your first step towards your vision.
      This is starting small. And this is getting started.
      Momentum will take you a long way.

Let’s wrap it up.

(yes I'm also using LLMs when needed)

Your achievements aren't just about luck or talent.

They are about thinking big and getting started, and they are also a result of the support you've received. Be proud of your efforts and grateful for those who've helped along the way. And get the help you need to make the next change happen.

So, what transformation are you tackling next? And who's on your team?

Think big. Get support. Start small. Make the change.