Running too many initiatives simultaneously may be counterproductive. A reality check:It is not uncommon for companies to have multiple improvement initiatives/transformation programs underway at the same time. In fact, this is considered a good sign. It shows that these companies are forward-looking and raring to grow. However, these progressive initiatives might not tell the whole story of whether the companies are truly poised for growth.  Scratch the surface, and you might find that key people in the company spend their days running from meeting to meeting, catching up on the progress of each of these initiatives. When not in meetings, they are preparing for yet another initiative. Their bandwidth is used up by reviews, leaving little time for ‘actual work’.  Each initiative brings along an entourage of mentors – consultants, academicians, IT experts, motivational speakers and so on. Each day, it takes up precious time of the key people in the company. Much data is generated for their discussions. This data is circulated in many formats and presented on multiple platforms. As the men and women juggle the many appointments, emails, presentations, and numerous meetings, they might wonder, “Which part of all this really matters to me or would help me?” And that might, eventually, lead to the question, “Why so many transformation programs?”  The top management’s answer could be one of the following. <ol><li>The company is going through a lean phase and is not as busy as it tends to be, and it wants to make the most of it before the next wave of growth comes.</li><li>Competitors are implementing an initiative. Company has ‘Fear of Missing Out’.</li><li>The transformation program would be a stepping-stone for ‘Future Owners’ to get started in the company.</li><li>They are recommended by a mentor/strategist with whom the company has a long-term engagement.  </li></ol>The untold storySadly, these initiatives running in companies could be cannibalizing each other unbeknownst to the people running them. Take what happened in one such company, for example.  A company-wide cost reduction program was initiated when it was found that the sales team’s travel allowance was 20% higher than that of their competitor. The allowance was slashed by 30% even as inflation was at an all-time high. In a few months, sales took a sudden dip. In response, the company hired a motivational speaker to boost the sales force’s morale. As may be guessed, the speaker’s visits did little about the flagging sales. That’s because the sales team’s significant needs were not being met. No amount of motivation could help. It goes to show that efforts made in multiple directions may not lead to any gain.  In fact, often, the top management is left wondering why not even a single initiative is yielding the desired results! That makes them start planning another initiative to pull them out of this mess. The loop continues. Interestingly, since most companies can’t see this vicious loop, the question of why initiatives don’t deliver expected results remains a puzzle.  <figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4500/4500;" src="https://web-assets.vectorconsulting.in/storage/editor_uploads//bllog-27-img-1-01-01-01-1729243169_1776938623.jpg" width="4500" height="4500"></figure>The missing pieces of the puzzle: An organisation, in its simplest form, is an interconnected system of functions. When a problem arises, we seek a local solution by seeing the problem in isolation. Traditional management methods try to break a problem into smaller, simpler parts. And then deploy multiple initiatives to solve each of those parts. Simplicity is not about seeing the problem in parts but as a whole– a system approach to solving problems.  When work in one department can impact work in another department, then it is possible that there aren’t multiple problems but a single problem at play. The multitude of problems could be nothing but symptoms of the underlying problem – the root cause! Until this root cause is caught and arrested, the problems (or symptoms) will continue to exist. That is why despite companies deploying multiple initiatives to address these symptoms, they find that either these initiatives don’t yield results, or that the problems resurface after some time.  Any organisation can run only so many improvement initiatives at a time. Like ‘Risk Appetite’ organisations have ‘Transformation Appetite’ which is the quantum of transformational initiatives that a company can not only manage but also sustain. Sustained transformations are those wherein the new way of working becomes a habit, becomes second nature and gets ingrained in the DNA of the company.  Considering these two facets of systems thinking and transformation appetite, it would make sense to have as few initiatives as possible and to focus on the root cause. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” goes a popular saying. An initiative can be strongly followed in true spirit and be sustainable – provided that every individual in the company believes and follows the SOPs in true spirit. But this is not always the case. As these initiatives are often driven by the top management, they may not be followed with the right rigour by the people lower in the hierarchy. This is because companies do not invest in educating and obtaining the buy-in of all their employees. That is why few companies enjoy success even after adopting Lean, Six Sigma or TOC. <figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4500/4500;" src="https://web-assets.vectorconsulting.in/storage/editor_uploads//bllog-27-img-2-01-1729243194_1776938676.jpg" width="4500" height="4500"></figure>A structured approach:So, until we connect the pieces of this puzzle, the problem of poor initiatives results can never be solved. What would help is a structured, step-by-step approach to ’inducting’ a transformative process into the organisation. Step: 1 – PrioritiseIt is very important to prioritise transformational programs- not only in terms of which ones are more important but also in the sequence in which implementation should be done. As a company, it makes sense to ‘focus’ on one initiative at any point in time to bring that initiative to fruition. By ‘focus’, we mean that the company may have to let go of various other potential initiatives under consideration or do them later.  To decide on which one is the right initiative to focus on, it makes sense to check each initiative and answer the question, “What problem are we trying to solve with this?”. Once that is clear, it is also important to assess whether the problem we are trying to solve addresses a root cause or a symptom. If it is not addressing the root cause, we will be wasting our efforts by merely trying to address the situation at a superficial level. Always prioritise initiatives that address the root problems first. Other initiatives may be needed to ensure continuous improvements, but those will follow. Step: 2 – SynchroniseWhen an organisation decides to pursue multiple initiatives, it is necessary to consider whether any action taken for one initiative is a ‘Repetitive Action’ or whether it conflicts with another. Sometimes, a single initiative can require two conflicting actions. In such cases, the situation may deteriorate rather than improve.  Step: 3 – ChanneliseOnce the initiatives are finalised, and the issues of synchronisation are resolved, the organisation must channel its entire attention towards implementing the transformation program with full vigour. While doing so, Top Management must look out for lead indicators to ensure that the actions are giving the desired results.  A Word of CautionOrganisations are driven by various factors to be at the prime of their performance, be it the market share or the share market. The rat race to be at the top forces companies to take desperate measures of starting various initiatives simultaneously– with the shimmering hope that the organization would come out on top in no time. Then they are frustrated when the company goes nowhere! Try taking one step at a time and see how soon you get to the top – after all, as the proverbial saying goes- “Rome was not built in a day”.

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Problem: Companies often run multiple transformation initiatives simultaneously, thinking it signals growth. However, this can overwhelm key personnel, drain bandwidth, and lead to fragmented efforts. Different initiatives may clash or cannibalise each other, causing poor outcomes and frustration. Solution: To address this, companies should prioritise initiatives, focusing on solving root causes rather than symptoms. A structured, step-by-step approach is essential, including prioritising, synchronising, and channelling resources towards a single initiative before moving on to others. Benefits: By focusing on the root cause and avoiding multiple conflicting initiatives, companies can ensure deeper, more sustainable transformations. This approach prevents resource dilution, enhances employee buy-in, and leads to lasting improvements, ultimately fostering growth with a clear, focused strategy.

Key Takeaways

Organizations launch multiple initiatives to continously improve performance. However, key staff get overwhelmed with these and end up spending more time in meetings than working. The involvement of many mentors and experts, though meant to help, just increases complexity. Here is a way out.

Too many cooks spoil the... growth!

Running too many initiatives simultaneously may be counterproductive. A reality check:It is not uncommon for companies to have multiple improvement initiatives/transformation programs underway at the same time. In fact, this is considered a good sign. It shows that these companies are forward-looking and raring to grow. However, these progressive initiatives might not tell the whole story of whether the companies are truly poised for growth.  Scratch the surface, and you might find that key people in the company spend their days running from meeting to meeting, catching up on the progress of each of these initiatives. When not in meetings, they are preparing for yet another initiative. Their bandwidth is used up by reviews, leaving little time for ‘actual work’.  Each initiative brings along an entourage of mentors – consultants, academicians, IT experts, motivational speakers and so on. Each day, it takes up precious time of the key people in the company. Much data is generated for their discussions. This data is circulated in many formats and presented on multiple platforms. As the men and women juggle the many appointments, emails, presentations, and numerous meetings, they might wonder, “Which part of all this really matters to me or would help me?” And that might, eventually, lead to the question, “Why so many transformation programs?”  The top management’s answer could be one of the following. <ol><li>The company is going through a lean phase and is not as busy as it tends to be, and it wants to make the most of it before the next wave of growth comes.</li><li>Competitors are implementing an initiative. Company has ‘Fear of Missing Out’.</li><li>The transformation program would be a stepping-stone for ‘Future Owners’ to get started in the company.</li><li>They are recommended by a mentor/strategist with whom the company has a long-term engagement.  </li></ol>The untold storySadly, these initiatives running in companies could be cannibalizing each other unbeknownst to the people running them. Take what happened in one such company, for example.  A company-wide cost reduction program was initiated when it was found that the sales team’s travel allowance was 20% higher than that of their competitor. The allowance was slashed by 30% even as inflation was at an all-time high. In a few months, sales took a sudden dip. In response, the company hired a motivational speaker to boost the sales force’s morale. As may be guessed, the speaker’s visits did little about the flagging sales. That’s because the sales team’s significant needs were not being met. No amount of motivation could help. It goes to show that efforts made in multiple directions may not lead to any gain.  In fact, often, the top management is left wondering why not even a single initiative is yielding the desired results! That makes them start planning another initiative to pull them out of this mess. The loop continues. Interestingly, since most companies can’t see this vicious loop, the question of why initiatives don’t deliver expected results remains a puzzle.  <figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4500/4500;" src="https://web-assets.vectorconsulting.in/storage/editor_uploads//bllog-27-img-1-01-01-01-1729243169_1776938605.jpg" width="4500" height="4500"></figure>The missing pieces of the puzzle: An organisation, in its simplest form, is an interconnected system of functions. When a problem arises, we seek a local solution by seeing the problem in isolation. Traditional management methods try to break a problem into smaller, simpler parts. And then deploy multiple initiatives to solve each of those parts. Simplicity is not about seeing the problem in parts but as a whole– a system approach to solving problems.  When work in one department can impact work in another department, then it is possible that there aren’t multiple problems but a single problem at play. The multitude of problems could be nothing but symptoms of the underlying problem – the root cause! Until this root cause is caught and arrested, the problems (or symptoms) will continue to exist. That is why despite companies deploying multiple initiatives to address these symptoms, they find that either these initiatives don’t yield results, or that the problems resurface after some time.  Any organisation can run only so many improvement initiatives at a time. Like ‘Risk Appetite’ organisations have ‘Transformation Appetite’ which is the quantum of transformational initiatives that a company can not only manage but also sustain. Sustained transformations are those wherein the new way of working becomes a habit, becomes second nature and gets ingrained in the DNA of the company.  Considering these two facets of systems thinking and transformation appetite, it would make sense to have as few initiatives as possible and to focus on the root cause. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” goes a popular saying. An initiative can be strongly followed in true spirit and be sustainable – provided that every individual in the company believes and follows the SOPs in true spirit. But this is not always the case. As these initiatives are often driven by the top management, they may not be followed with the right rigour by the people lower in the hierarchy. This is because companies do not invest in educating and obtaining the buy-in of all their employees. That is why few companies enjoy success even after adopting Lean, Six Sigma or TOC. <figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:4500/4500;" src="https://web-assets.vectorconsulting.in/storage/editor_uploads//bllog-27-img-2-01-1729243194_1776938664.jpg" width="4500" height="4500"></figure>A structured approach:So, until we connect the pieces of this puzzle, the problem of poor initiatives results can never be solved. What would help is a structured, step-by-step approach to ’inducting’ a transformative process into the organisation. Step: 1 – PrioritiseIt is very important to prioritise transformational programs- not only in terms of which ones are more important but also in the sequence in which implementation should be done. As a company, it makes sense to ‘focus’ on one initiative at any point in time to bring that initiative to fruition. By ‘focus’, we mean that the company may have to let go of various other potential initiatives under consideration or do them later.  To decide on which one is the right initiative to focus on, it makes sense to check each initiative and answer the question, “What problem are we trying to solve with this?”. Once that is clear, it is also important to assess whether the problem we are trying to solve addresses a root cause or a symptom. If it is not addressing the root cause, we will be wasting our efforts by merely trying to address the situation at a superficial level. Always prioritise initiatives that address the root problems first. Other initiatives may be needed to ensure continuous improvements, but those will follow. Step: 2 – SynchroniseWhen an organisation decides to pursue multiple initiatives, it is necessary to consider whether any action taken for one initiative is a ‘Repetitive Action’ or whether it conflicts with another. Sometimes, a single initiative can require two conflicting actions. In such cases, the situation may deteriorate rather than improve.  Step: 3 – ChanneliseOnce the initiatives are finalised, and the issues of synchronisation are resolved, the organisation must channel its entire attention towards implementing the transformation program with full vigour. While doing so, Top Management must look out for lead indicators to ensure that the actions are giving the desired results.  A Word of CautionOrganisations are driven by various factors to be at the prime of their performance, be it the market share or the share market. The rat race to be at the top forces companies to take desperate measures of starting various initiatives simultaneously– with the shimmering hope that the organization would come out on top in no time. Then they are frustrated when the company goes nowhere! Try taking one step at a time and see how soon you get to the top – after all, as the proverbial saying goes- “Rome was not built in a day”.