[Experts insights] What can make a business transformation a success? Experts chime in on the latest topics in accountancy and business

One Sunday, I was on my way to brunch. The bus ride was peaceful – the city felt unhurried and no one was on early calls. Suddenly, the bus jolted to a halt, and someone shouted, “Get off the bus”. No one moved. People looked around in confusion, reluctant to leave their seats, unsure when the next bus would come. I felt uneasy, my peace had been disrupted. That unease, however, lasted only about 10 seconds until someone shouted, “Fire!”

All the passengers jumped to their feet and rushed off. Smoke was curling from the back. Thankfully, it was just an overheated engine, and everyone was safe. In hindsight, the realization was chilling: we had stayed in a burning vehicle simply because we did not understand why we needed to move, even though we were told to do so.

Transformation is not about a technical upgrade or a strategic expansion. It is a movement of people from one way of working and thinking to another. Designing strategy and KPIs are project-side functions, but driving change is a human one.

We hold town halls, present sleek slide decks, and send mass emails, assuming information will drive change, but often, it does not. I have seen both effective and ineffective town halls. One, in particular, stood out. On paper, it was perfectly prepared, yet the impact fell flat once the speakers began.

“Making change meaningful to different audiences requires more than clarity, it requires resonance.”

All the speakers held pages of A4 scripts. The first read verbatim, sounding like a GPS. Another slipped into lecture mode as if the room was full of schoolkids. By the time the final speaker took the stage, he realized that the audience were disengaged and spoke in platitudes. What the intended message was is hard to recall, but the unintended one was clear – There was communication but no connection.

Making change meaningful to different audiences requires more than clarity, it requires resonance. It calls for a vision people can see themselves in, and communication that builds belief, so that people choose commitment rather than compliance.

More often than not, top management is the primary voice of change who paints a rosy company future. In reality, reporting leads and team managers play an equally critical role. By consistently reinforcing the message and translating it into day-to-day work, they make the change tangible and personally relevant. This inspires individual transition and encourages more meaningful input, bridging the gap between strategy and day-to-day reality.

Staff are like the bus passengers. If they do not see the smoke, they will remain in their seats and slip back into old routines, no matter how often they are told to move. Ultimately, a business transformation succeeds when we leverage the power of why and make it so vivid that remaining sitting down no longer feels like an option.

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Author： Marie France Thongphanh Marie France Thongphanh has extensive experience in leading transformation initiatives and is a Prosci-certified practitioner. She enjoys putting ideas into motion and fostering cross-functional collaboration to drive meaningful change. She is currently a Transformation Manager at Johnson Stokes & Master and the Founding Secretary and Treasurer of the Master Change Circle (MCC).

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