From clients embarking on technology implementations, we often hear the expectation of how the implementation will “transform” the organization. Using HR as an example, these expectations may be for HR to enhance its tactical level of service, and/or to enable more effective contributions at a strategic level. However, declaring that an implementation is actually a transformation does not make it so!

I recently worked with a client who couldn’t decide on whether or not to implement a company-wide employee referral program (ERP). Since the businesses couldn’t agree, they didn’t implement anything. Was that the right move?

The bigger the decision, the harder it is to make. That is why companies hire smart people to make smart decisions that affect the organization and its human capital. As Brian Tracy stated, “Decisiveness is a characteristic of high-performing men and women. Almost any decision is better than no decision at all.”

So what goes into making the right decision?

I can implement that ATS in 30 days! This is about as easy to do as naming a tune in less than 3 notes, yet it is the most common statement I hear when ATS vendors are selling their technology to customers. Is this really possible? It could be, but the results usually leave you far from the expectations set during the ATS sales cycle. Here is what typically occurs:

Early in his presidency, President Trump signed an executive order banning the entry of nationals from seven countries into the U.S. for 90 days, along with other suspensions.  The action stirred loud voices on both sides of the issue. The opposition was widespread and loud, but many polls show that more people supported the action, even if they do so more quietly. Regardless of the pros and cons of the action, there is one point on which nearly everyone can agree: the way the order was rolled-out was problematic. In examining these problems, there are valuable lessons about change management.

In today’s business environment organizations are constantly launching new strategic initiatives aimed at driving some sort of value proposition. These range from company-wide reorganizations to the implementation of a major technology such as an ERP or a Human Capital Management software suite. They say that somewhere between 37% and 68% of large corporate projects fail. There are loads of reasons – lack of sponsorship, poorly defined requirements, unrealistic timelines, and the list goes on.