Once the vision is set, the next step is less glamorous—but absolutely critical:
Face the truth about where you are.
Step 2 in our transformation model is to analyze the current situation and systems. Without this, vision becomes fantasy. You need to understand your reality to chart a course forward.
Let’s look at how this step played out in three very different companies.
1. Large Manufacturing Company
In this highly structured, metrics-driven environment, we had access to a lot of data. But we weren’t asking the right questions.
We went beyond the standard finance metrics and looked at:
- How finance interacted with operations
- The speed and clarity of our reporting
- The trust levels between functions
We uncovered a gap: we had technical skills, but not business partnership. That clarity reshaped how we trained, staffed, and measured our teams.
2. Mid-Size Electronics Manufacturing Services Company
Here, the picture was messier. We were growing fast, but profit was disappearing. Our people told one story, but the data told another.
We dug deep:
- Which customers were profitable—and which weren’t?
- Where were we overbuilt or underutilized?
- How were decisions made, and who was really accountable?
We mapped our operations, product lines, and leadership systems. The result: we saw clearly where bloat, misalignment, and missed opportunities were draining value.
3. Global Internet Payments Company
As a fast-growing tech firm, we had scale—but not cohesion.
We analyzed:
- Where culture varied or clashed across teams
- Disconnected internal processes
- Gaps in merchant onboarding and customer service
We found operating siloes and inconsistencies that weren’t obvious from the top. Asking for and then listening to the perspectives and challenges of our customers, associates and partners helped us see the whole picture.
Common Themes
- Data matters, but conversations matter more.
- You need to see systems, not just symptoms.
- People engage when they see that the truth won’t be used against them.
Reflection Questions
- Where might assumptions be clouding your view of the current state?
- What interdependencies are being ignored in your analysis?
- How can you invite broader participation in naming the truth?
In At C-Level #13, we’ll tackle Step 3: how to build a transformation plan that bridges from where you are to where you’re going—without getting lost in complexity.