Learning to cha-cha-change

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Driving a high performance culture during a business transformation is a lot like learning to dance.

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Why should you spend 3 minutes reading this blog?

• You’ll discover the importance of partnership, pace and clear communication during a business transformation. 
• It’s written by someone who can’t dance but can help your business return to sustainable growth. 
• Not once do I use the words ‘disrupt’ or innovate’.  

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My wife has natural rhythm. I do not. So when we decided to start dance classes together, we progressed at a totally different rate. While my wife glided across the floor in perfect time, I found myself grappling with two left feet four paces behind the music. Turns out I’m not the only coach in the family, because my wife was patient and considerate in our partnership and we ended up performing pretty well. 

My foray into the world of swaying hips and double turns, got me thinking about how you inspire high performance during a business transformation. In a lot of ways, it’s like learning to dance. Here’s why.

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You need to set a rhythm.

Each dance has a sequence of steps that sets the direction and rhythm of the performance. The same should go for your business transformation. You need to create a sequence of events (i.e. regular meetings) to ensure everyone is clear on what’s expected of them. If any of the expectations aren’t met, there needs to be a clear follow-up or escalation procedure. Remember, successful transformations are the sum of incremental improvements made every day. Keep the pace up. 

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Everyone needs to understand the role they play. 

In dance, the leader guides the couple through the choreography, initiating transitions to the various dance steps. The follower responds to the directions keeping the dance coordinated and smooth. During a business transformation, everyone needs to fully understand the role they play and be trained to fulfill it. The leadership team needs to provide clear guidance to keep the performance seamless. 

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You need a common way of communicating.

During a dance routine, partners use subtle physical and visual signals to communicate with one another. It’s a non-verbal language that is often unique to their partnership. If you read my last blog, you’ll understand the importance of developing your own common language during a business transformation. It aids productivity and cohesiveness and gives your organisation a clear identity. 

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It takes practice. 

When I started dancing, I sucked. As I committed more time and effort, I sucked less. I’m never going to be Gene Kelly but I could probably get through round one of Strictly Come Dancing if I was up against Jacqui Smith. Initially, following a new framework and speaking a new language can be daunting and frustrating. But, like dancing, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Eventually your method of working becomes the natural way of making transformation happen. 

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You need a great coach.

Most professional dancers will tell you that they would be nothing without the guidance and support of an instructor or coach. You don’t go to a plumber if you want to learn to the tango, it requires a very specific skillset. So does business transformation. If you’re leading an organisation through a period of change, the best thing you can do is seek support from someone who specialises in turnarounds and automation.

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Like learning to dance, igniting high performance during a business transformation takes practice, respectful partnerships, good rhythm and a great coach. Without these things, you’ll end up with a lack lustre performance and a distinct lack of applause.