Pattern 1: It starts with a momentum challenging the people, and people being up to the challenge
Industries trying to transform without a real, shared sense of urgency simply lack engagement. If only a few people feel it, they'll face the reluctance of the rest of the organisation, lack support, and eventually tire off or leave. Transformation needs an organisation unified around one common goal, with a clear vision in which everyone sees their role and contribution. Within this momentum, culture is key — those who take up the challenge best have a real combative culture, a sense of pride and wish to succeed. Fear doesn't move the lines; showing what you're capable of does.
Pattern 2: Everyone converging towards a common goal with a clear scope and mandate
Transversal collaboration doesn't mean involving every individual in every discussion and decision — that's counterproductive and means nothing happens. People need a clear objective and scope, need to understand their role in the big picture, and need to be empowered to do what it takes. If change agents are slowed down by multiple alignment meetings and committees, there's no focus and no empowerment. In transformation, time is of the essence, and speed can be decisive.
Pattern 3: Gaining leverage from customer intimacy and unique value propositions
Most transformations — especially digital ones — are about bringing new or different solutions to market and changing how they're distributed. Digital transformation creates enough pull and simplicity of purchase for customers to buy directly, which is what lets you challenge indirect distribution: indirect channels won't accept lower commissions unless they see enough volume to compensate. So build great solutions, demonstrate their effectiveness, and use that leverage to shift lines between indirect and direct distribution. Building great solutions comes from customer intimacy — not just knowledge — understanding what people need and how they purchase it.
Pattern 4: Communicate the new strategy and build governance to preserve it
Empowerment is key, but day-to-day business decisions and line management solutions can be counter-productive to your digital and customer strategy, especially when the organisation doesn't breathe digital yet. Once the strategy is elaborated, communicate it, repeat it, and show how serious you are about it — it's a new direction, not a short-term objective. Match day-to-day decisions against your objectives and guiding principles, and use gatings and committees to keep projects aligned, because everything that passes through unchecked becomes legacy you'll need to manage tomorrow.
Pattern 5: Don't try to change your DNA, capitalise on it
This is probably the hardest one. Digital transformation is a strong shift in how you've operated and what you bring to market, and people who joined and stayed for specific reasons may not recognise themselves in what's happening if the shift is too aggressive. Understand your organisation's DNA, what can be challenged, and how to gradually shift while capitalising on it rather than working against it. Shift too little and you limit impact; shift too much and you risk complete failure — a stepped, well-thought approach is critical.
Frequently asked questions
What's the single biggest reason digital transformations fail to gain traction?
A lack of shared momentum and urgency — if only a few people feel the need to change, the rest of the organisation's reluctance eventually wins out.
Does transversal collaboration mean involving everyone in every decision?
No — it means giving people a clear scope, objective, and mandate, and empowering them to act, rather than slowing everything down with universal alignment meetings.
How does customer intimacy help shift distribution strategy?
Demonstrating genuinely effective solutions built on customer intimacy creates enough pull for direct purchase, which gives you leverage to renegotiate terms with indirect distribution.
Why is protecting a new strategy through governance necessary?
Without gatings or committees to check day-to-day decisions against the strategy, projects that quietly work against it become legacy the organisation has to manage later.
