The perfection paradox and the power of pragmatism
In a world where volatility has become the norm, the pressure on organisations to evolve and stay relevant, never mind competitive, is immense.
Pursuing perfection in digital transformations often causes more problems than it solves
So, businesses embark on their transformation programmes with noble goals – increased agility and innovation, revenue growth, sustainability, and so on – and a desire to do this as efficiently as possible (i.e., for as little cost as possible).
The perfection paradox: what does ‘right’ mean anyway?
Obviously, efficiency is aided by getting everything right the first time and all rework is to be avoided.
Rework is bad. Rework means that we didn’t think things through.
Rework means that people aren’t doing their jobs properly (and certainly not because it’s impossible to foresee every eventuality both internal and external that may impact a transformation programme of any reasonable size). Rework means cost and time overruns. Right?
No, not right, but it’s an all-too-common misperception.
If you can get things right first time, that is clearly a good thing (whatever right means – as right at one point in time may actually be very wrong at another point in time).
However, the time and effort it takes to get something 100% right first time will far exceed the time and effort it takes to get it nearly right and then improve.
Perfectionism is often driven by the desire to avoid failure, mitigate risks, and deliver flawless results. This mindset is particularly prevalent in industries where precision and accuracy are highly valued (financial services, healthcare, and engineering, for example).
The perfectionist’s logic seems sound: by meticulously planning and executing every detail, organisations can ensure that their transformation initiatives are successful.
While striving for excellence is commendable, the relentless pursuit of perfection in transformations is a perilous approach that can lead to a host of problems that can ultimately hinder success, such as:
Delays
Teams get bogged down with endless planning, analysis, and revisions.
Lack of agility
Organisations become too focused on developing the perfect plan which results in an inability to adapt to unforeseen challenges or changing market conditions. The impact of change in these situations will be significant with many streams for work being impacted at significant cost.
Introducing unnecessary complexity
Organisations introduce unnecessary layers of complexity, often overengineering solutions and implementing heavily detailed processes/controls.
Missed opportunities
In a rapidly changing environment, opportunities often arise unexpectedly, but by the time the perfect solution has been implemented, the world has moved on, so the opportunity is missed.
Stifled innovation
Perfection is the enemy of creativity and innovation. Teams become risk averse and focus more on avoiding mistakes than experimenting with new ideas.
The power of pragmatism
Pursuing a pragmatic approach to transformations not only facilitates faster decision making, but also allows organisations to focus on practical solutions that drive real-world results, leading to more sustainable and effective outcomes.
The following are some key elements of a pragmatic approach to transformations:
Principles over procedures
In the fast-paced world of digital transformations, applying strict governance rules is neither appropriate nor effective.
The flexibility provided by a principles-based approach, where the programme is guided by broad principles that provide direction but also allow for adaptation to specific circumstances, is much more suited to the complex and rapidly changing digital environment.
Adaptability = resilience
The global business environment is currently highly dynamic. We see the ever-increasing pace of customer expectation, changing market conditions, and rapid advancements in technology.
Therefore, designing your transformation programme to be highly responsive to change ensures that the strategy remains relevant and aligned with the current landscape, and is ultimately critical to success.
Accept that there is no transformational end state
Organisations need to understand that the current environment dictates that there is no transformational end state. Businesses need to enter a cycle of deliver and improve, deliver and improve. This is a journey without a finite end point.
Prioritise learning over perfection
Failure is inherent in the learning process. Businesses need to recognise the complexity of transformation programmes and instead of fearing failure they should see this as an opportunity to create a culture of experimentation, where teams are encouraged to try new approaches, learn from their mistakes, and continuously improve.
Focus on sustainable success
Being pragmatic and flexible and prioritising learning over short-term perfection will create a resilient environment that allows teams to focus on long-term, sustainable, and effective change that delivers lasting value.
Settle but never settle – the continual discovery phase
Organisations need to accept that transformation programmes never fully get out of the discovery phase. There will always be new insights, challenges, and opportunities emerging. It’s crucial to maintain a mindset of continuous discovery and iteration.
Settle for a less than perfect delivery initially, but never fully settle – always improve, adapt, and evolve this delivery.
Big goals are achieved by small improvements
In order to succeed in transformation initiatives, it is essential to recognise that big transformations are not achieved by big steps and big decisions. Big transformations are achieved by small incremental improvements across lots of different areas.
Adopting this mindset ensures that progress is consistent, manageable, and adaptable.
Closing thoughts
The pursuit of perfection in digital transformation, while well-intentioned, often leads to more problems than it solves. From increased complexity and missed opportunities to stifled innovation and delays, the quest for flawless execution can hinder progress and ultimately jeopardise the success of transformation initiatives.
This article contains extracts taken from my book, Evolving from Digital Transformation to Digital Acceleration using The Galapagos Framework.
About the author
Brian Harkin is the founder of DigitalXform and a visiting lecturer at Bayes Business School (City, University of London).
He is passionate about the intersection of people, technology, and innovation and has developed the Galapagos Framework to help leaders and organisations transform the way they direct digital change.
All opinions are his own and he welcomes debate and comment!
Follow Brian on X @DigitalXformBH and LinkedIn.
