A turnaround starts from poor performing business, brand, or customer that you “turn around” to a stabilized and successful state. A turnaround is typically a lengthy process. You can do a turnaround by changing the approach of what you do.
A transformation is a continuous improvement step change. It is called a transformation when things are going well but you want to improve upon the current state through improved processes and protocols.
My first role in Mars was in the regional Strategy & PMO team where my first project was to support a business turnaround in one of the business units in the region.
It all needs to start with a thorough diagnostic to understand WHY we got to where we are followed by a compelling case for change to understand where we need to go and what are the key success criteria.
Clarity and speed of decision making in these situations is key; in a turnaround environment, you have to move fast and be clear on what we’re doing and not doing.
Turnaround requires a focused, structured & dedicated resource pool to drive the effort especially in the beginning.
Engaging the hearts and minds of the associates – with emphasis on ‘hearts’ – as very few people question whether the turnaround is necessary but many struggle to shift their thinking because their hearts are not in it or they have different priorities / day job etc.
I think understanding the importance of engaging the hearts as well as minds of fellow associates (Influence Without Authority) in such situations was a great learning and one that I continue to practice and remain intentional about, especially in difficult situations.
As the business partnering lead within the S&F Digital Factory I was one of the folks on the forefront of the digital transformation in Mars Finance and tasked to bring to life what it means to be an agile, digital-centric S&F Associate.
Concepts like test and learn through MVPs and being user centric is a way of working that is fundamental to digital savviness. This was not obvious for most people and to be able to engage associates from all levels of the organization and win hearts and minds we had to make them experience it. Providing this experience and giving individuals guidance on practical application of learnings is critical to the success of the transformation. It will start small but you will see that it will turn into a snowball.
Everybody responds to change differently and not always positive. As a driver of transformation that is not always easy to deal with. Focus on those Associates or groups that are first followers and recognize them as ambassadors for the change helps the movement to continue.
Many Associates from across the organization still ask me how they could learn to become more digital and my answer is always start small and just do it. There is plenty of learning material available on digital and you need some essentials, but the real learning experience is practice. And I do the same… if I don’t know how to move forward I think about the smallest possible step I can take and I just do it, instead of keep on thinking how to move forward. If it’s wrong I adjust, if it’s right I continue, I’ve learned something in both cases! In the context of transformation it is important to help with the first step so people have a starting point.
I practiced this extensively on the job through my tenure with Internal Audit, leading IA function for CISMETA region; a function with an objective to review and support governance efforts of Units known as ‘home of VUCA’ in Mars. I further took on the role of Compliance and Transformation Director for MW GEM, designing, defining and leading operations transformation project in MEA; and Finance reinvention for MW GEM.
Turnaround and Transformation are some of the most challenging projects. They imply challenging status quo, they add pressure and create more work. But when there is clarity around ‘from’ [the why behind the change] and ‘to’ [the what behind the change], it creates believers, and with believers everything is possible.
The 1-2-3 of Transformations are:
1. Clarity on north star [from and to]
2. Team of believers [change agents]
3. Clear path to success: project management is key.
The best part around Mars is that our Associates are very entrepreneurial and agile, so they have a lot of appetite for change, and easily engage in small and large change projects. The most challenging part though is to prioritize which change is more important than another one, and give quality time [make space] to this transformation. Also we are very action oriented, so many times too often we don’t give space for proper planning. However, in Transformation – planning is key. The saying is ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail’… 20% of upfront effort in planning will give 80% of success, it’s hard not to jump into action, but so worthwhile.
Achieving success in Turnaround or Transformation, projects which sometimes are referred to as ‘From Breakdown to Breakthrough’, usually generate exceptional value to business, recognition from internal and external clients and high personal satisfaction. It elevates motivation, creates a meaning to work, is rewarding, fulfilling and truly unforgettable. The next feeling is what we can do next to repeat or even overcome the success; it sets a standard and impacts everything you do in life after this success.
Today I’m a proud change agent, a coach to project management, and someone who takes challenge as an opportunity… My objective plan contains core work, but also 2-3 must deliver transformations, which will change the way we operate as business, as a function or as a team. I help my teams define the north star, and build the team of believers – they will do the rest!
The Breadth layer is about having a variety of experiences. It’s about becoming more comfortable with the way we do business whether in a new country or in a new segment. Experience in this layer empowers Associates to make credible and informed decisions and create value for the business.
Experiences expand your business acumen; they help you understand how Mars works as an organization. In this layer you can demonstrate your ability to make strategic choices and create value in a variety of situations and scenarios. Successful experience in this may demonstrate that you can manage better business outcomes.
The People layer gives you experience in people management, a critical capability for managers and leaders across the organization. If you wish to manage large scale teams, significant experience will be required as part of this people layer.
Gaining experience across Finance pillars will help Associates gain perspective, business understanding and be more credible when making decisions. You build functional skills by gaining experiences in at least two of the three job families within the Finance function (i.e. Innovative Business Partnering, Smart Financial Operations, Enhanced Specialized Services) as well as some experience in the Digital space.
The Breadth layer is about having a variety of experiences. It is about becoming more comfortable with the way we do business whether in a new country or in a new segment. Gaining this experience empowers Associates to take more credible and informed decisions and understand where the value comes from. Some of these experiences can be checked off simply by working in project teams that are cross-segment, cross-country, or within different types of business models (i.e. Mature vs Emerging markets, CPG vs Retail, DTC or Services business, Shared services business).
