MaryJo Burchard

Such a great question, Robin! Though most organizations are not designed to be disruptors as their primary function, they can effectively adopt and optimize "disruptive"/agile behaviors to increase their maneuverability. In my observation, the two keys are: (1) incremental learning, modeling, and proliferating identified "speedboat" behaviors and approaches that fit the organization's goals, while (2) honoring the "sailboat" identity at the organization's core, and keeping the distinction between a modification and a full transformation. Caveat: "transforming parts. . . to a speedboat org" must be done with care. These adaptations will only be truly "upgrades" if people remain mindful of the org's essential nature (sailboat/speedboat). Rather than getting "the best of both worlds," conflating transformation and a modification can shock the crew and make the organization neither stable nor fast.

In "real life," people can add an engine to a sailboat, and when the engine is running the modified vessel is classified as a powerboat. But despite the reclassification and new capabilities, the craft is still essentially a "sailboat" with an engine. The crew still functions with sailboat goals, values, and approach to the water. The engine can be optimized if the crew learns powerboat approaches, rules, goals, and opportunities that it couldn't pursue without an engine. But the moment someone attempts to enter that sailboat-with-an-engine into a speedboat race, the craft is set up to fail. Crew members will bail with the sudden lurch, and may cause others to crash along the way.

For sailboat orgs that may be tempted to reinvent themselves as full speedboats: Digital transformation takes time and requires more than just a "new engine" and the technological capacity to "go fast." An organization with new tech upgrades and even new open/agile approaches to work will have the best chances if it still honors its status as a sailboat with an engine. The extent of optimal transformation is on a sliding scale based on a collective, intentional preference of either speed or stability as the focal point. Until the bulk of the people in the org understand the new rules of engagement - - and the infrastructure of the organization itself is also modified to be a speedboat (assuming they really WANT speed over stability), digital transformation will remain a term only embraced in pockets where it naturally resonates (vis: the cubicles of the IT department.) Intentional, relational digital modifications and incremental changes in the culture can help sailboat orgs gain the benefit of increased speed, without sacrificing long-earned stability.

Can anyone share an example of an organization doing this effectively (whether as modification or transformation)?