Before I help a client launch a transformation, I ask these five questions.
If we don’t have clear answers, we don’t start. It’s that simple.
1. What’s the real problem we’re solving?
Be honest. Is it a cost issue? A customer issue? A culture issue?
Transformation without diagnosis is theater.
2. What does success look like — and who defines it?
Is it EBIT margin? Resilience? A new org model?
And whose expectations shape that?
3. Who’s sponsoring the program — and how visible are they?
Without senior ownership, no transformation survives long.
Is leadership ready to lead from the front?
4. What internal resources are available — and what’s missing?
You can’t staff transformation with whoever is free.
Top people make the difference.
My Rule #4: Availability is not a skill set.
5. How will we handle all the “other stuff” we’ll discover?
No plan survives contact with reality. You’ll find other issues.
Have a system for capturing and sequencing them — or they’ll derail your program.