Navigating complex, large-scale transformations is harder than ever. That's why Framework Training is thrilled to announce the launch of a suite of brand new customisable Programme Management courses and workshops, developed in partnership with Transformation expert Gareth Williams. Together we're bringing his unique industry-leading experience to offer businesses of all sizes not just training, but practical coaching solutions designed to drive successful organizational change.
Gareth unpicks the problem...
The Transformation Trap: it's not the tech, it's the people and process
For decision-makers responsible for strategic technology or business transformation, the cost of failure is high in terms of both investment and credibility. Yet organizations large and small struggle to convert great technology choices into real business value.
According to Boston Consulting Group, depending on complexity, 50-75% of major change efforts fail to realize intended results. Harvard Business Review says that two out of three transformation initiatives fail.
It’s an epidemic with no end in sight. The implementation of technology has become easier and more reliable, but the common reasons that programmes fail are business-and-human-centred and haven’t changed as technology has improved:
Low support from those who are funding the change
Unclear decision-making
Low ongoing focus on benefits
Poorly defined or communicated Vision
Lack of clarity about the gap between current and future states
Unrealistic expectations about the capacity and ability to change
Failure to engage and influence stakeholders
Complex dependencies
Inability to influence the prevailing culture
Difficulties in keeping effort focused at the right level of detail
If anything, things are getting worse! As technology becomes more accessible and powerful through the availability of SaaS, AI and integration capabilities then the pressure to adopt for quick wins gets higher and higher.
Time and time again I see organizations jump into planning and executing technology projects, get some way, then come to the realization that they need to take a step back and more clearly define and agree the fundamental goals of the activity.
Here are some examples in play today:
A large organization resetting its CRM implementation after £1M spend in order to better link the implementation approach to the goals of the business. The board had lost confidence in the current direction
A very small charity using real-time analytics on sources of revenue to understand how to configure its legal entities and internal cashflows
A very large organization forced by vendor EOL to move off their current CRM Service platform taking the opportunity to step back and define their service modernization goals before reimplementing
Each of these examples demonstrates the need to fundamentally tie back to the question "what are we doing this for?"
When teams know the answer to that then every other decision becomes clearer and efforts are more focused.
That is why we deliver our domain-specific services through the lens of strategic program management.
The real question for leaders is not just which tools to implement, but how to structure programmes so that each initiative reinforces the others.
To be fair, when organizations have decided to execute a significant effort there is an immediate pressure to start doing:
Why is everyone talking and not implementing software, pouring concrete, hiring people?
When will it be done? We need to move with a sense of urgency
We'll lose the budget unless we spend it
It seems to be human nature to be more comfortable taking action than to spend time setting up the right actions to yield the outcome we are looking for. The optics are not favourable in many environments. And then the juggernaut gets rolling and there is no stopping it.
The trouble with this is that programs then often build the wrong capabilities, under-manage changes and ultimately fail to deliver the value intended. This is painful for everyone involved, and costly: you burn the money you spend and you don't get the benefit you are looking for and you can't execute other desirable activities and you annoy your staff and customers.
How do we fix this?
I’m excited to be partnering with Framework Training to deliver a series of workshops designed to enhance
These workshops are all targeted to increase the ability of your organization to successfully define and deliver programmes and get the intended results from your investments.
They can be tuned to your situation and offer a mix of best-practice training and hands-on exercises focussed on your team’s actual work.
Let’s step through the workshops…
Transformation Readiness Workshop
Transformation is hard. As the accountable leader you are expected to deliver measurable business results, are spending significant resources in terms of people and money and need to navigate cross-organizational, technological and cultural challenges.
This strategic, three-day workshop is based on Managing Successful Programmes best practice. It will enable leaders to:
Set up their programme for success
Provide ongoing monitoring
Diagnose issues and plan recovery actions
The Transformation Readiness Assessment brings a quantifiable framework that is aligned to best practice that will bring answers to key questions that keep leaders up at night:
How do I know if we are set up for success in our transformation program?
What steps can I take to find gaps and diagnose problems?
What corrective actions can I take?
During the workshop we will simultaneously review best practice and assess how it is being applied in your situation, creating an actionable plan that you can use straight away when you get back to the day job.
The Nominal Group Technique MasterClass
We all know Brainstorming, don't we? Ask a group to quickly throw out a number of ideas on a topic. It's quick, there is participation and inclusion, it's easy to understand and set up. If you are working on a problem, you've now got some strands to take forward. What's not to like?
Well… did everyone speak? No? So we got the input only from the people who are most extrovert or comfortable in the group. Maybe some people are experts or more senior… did others defer to them? What about that person on their phone? Did they contribute?
Did we really get the best ideas from the group, or just some ideas?
This high-impact, one-day masterclass provides a deep-dive into the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), a proven, structured method for effective group ideation, problem-solving, and consensus-building. We move past the limitations of traditional brainstorming - where the loudest voices often dominate - to ensure 100% participation and unlock the full, diverse intelligence of any team.
Through guided, hands-on practice, you will learn the step-by-step facilitation process: from defining the focus question to silent individual responses, clarification, consolidation, and weighted ranking. You will gain the confidence to apply NGT immediately to critical business challenges, such as program risk identification, goal setting, or strategic problem-solving, ensuring faster consensus, higher commitment, and a list of truly actionable, top-ranked ideas.
Unblock Your Team with Possibility Thinking
Is there a situation in your professional or personal life you would like to be different?
I'm guessing the answer is "yes".
We all know that it helps to view things from a different perspective. That's part of why we seek the opinions of other people. Their viewpoint and experience can open up new ideas when we are too close to a situation.
Years ago I came across the book The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander (Harvard Business School Press, 2000). The authors present twelve mental techniques that can open up new options when applied to a specific topic. I really liked it as a way to unblock situations and come up with innovative approaches. I've used it in my own life to do a couple of "impossible" things.
It's not a fluffy self-help book, although the anecdotes are engaging. These are real techniques based on high-performance teams and group psychology.
This intensive, one-day interactive workshop introduces Possibility Thinking as a practice. It is based on the twelve reframing techniques from The Art of Possibility. This workshop moves beyond conventional problem-solving by challenging the scarcity mindset common in business.
You will learn how to reframe roadblocks by assuming abundant resources, step into success by acting as if the desired outcome is already achieved and manage emotional constraints. We use real-world examples, individual and group exercises to help you and your team unblock long-standing issues and foster creative collaboration.
Critically, participants are encouraged to bring real, current business or personal situations to unblock. This element makes the session suitable for intact-team sessions to generate new perspectives on project, team or wider-organizational problems.
Programme Management Essentials
What is a Programme?
Definition: A temporary structure designed to lead multiple interrelated projects and other work in order to progressively achieve outcomes of benefit for one or more organizations.
Let’s break that down:
Temporary – a Programme is an extra governance layer that has been introduced to manage something important and large. Make no mistake – it is an extra overhead and so is only put in place when needed. When the work is over the Programme goes away.
Multiple Interrelated Projects and Other Work – Projects create capabilities like software, buildings and processes. Programmes deliver benefits through making sure the capabilities are the right ones and that they are used. Programmes are not just about co-ordinating the projects, they also define which projects to execute and what they should deliver.
Progressively achieve outcomes of benefit – Programmes are usually larger and more complex than projects and recognize that changes will be needed along the way. They focus on realizing benefits not delivering capabilities.
One or more organizations – Typically Programmes go across organizational boundaries and across legal entities. Programmes work to optimize that process – not replacing the necessary co-ordination at the project level.
Are you thinking of making the transition from Project to Programme Management?
Has a Programme sprung up in your organization and you need to skill up?
Are you looking to build or refresh specific skills in your team?
Could you use an overview of how to think strategically about your IT investments so that they power your business plan and realize real benefits?
We can tailor a range of experiences including:
1:1 Coaching
Intact Team Workshops to knock down roadblocks
1 Day Introduction to Programme Management
3 Day Programme Management Foundations
Specific sessions on key Programme Management success tools such as Benefit Maps, Target Operating Models, Stakeholder Mapping, Risk Management, Pacing and Embedding Outcomes
Sessions can comprise a mix of training, observation, facilitation and guided consulting to suit your situation.
Our aim is to enable your team to take things forward successfully.
Bespoke Options
One of the reasons I am so pleased to be partnering with Framework Training is the customer-centred tailoring approach Framework use. All the classes can be tuned to your specific needs and this is actively encouraged.
We love it when teams bring real project and programme problems to the workshops so we can apply the techniques to them. In fact, the sessions work best when this is the case. Don’t worry, there are plenty of general examples available too.
About Gareth Williams
My experience in defining and delivering technology programs in large enterprise gives me a broad perspective across people, process and technology including CRM, enterprise data, M&A, compliance, culture change, process design and adoption.
I use the same processes as major consulting houses, aligned with Managing Successful Programmes best practice.
I take a practical approach that puts your strategy ahead of technology.
With a career dedicated to digital transformation and CRM strategy in large enterprise, I help organizations optimize performance through technology and business change
Having led multi-million-dollar enterprise programs, I bring deep expertise in program management, information systems, team-building, CRM, analytics, process improvement and data
I am skilled at aligning information systems with business strategy, driving operational efficiency and leading global, cross-functional teams to drive transformations