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Leadership’s role in Oracle transformations
Aligning technology and teams for lasting impact
5-MINUTE READ
November 7, 2024
Activating leadership & change in global Oracle transformations
In today’s fast-moving business world, technology alone doesn’t drive transformation. Success lies in combining advanced technology with leadership that motivates people to embrace change.
As we reflect on the recent large-scale transformations we have implemented with our clients, the unlock for success comes when change is human-centered. What does that mean? It means transformation leaders engage employees at every level, fostering collaboration, and aligning leadership across business and IT functions to realize long-term value.
With Accenture’s expertise, powered by Oracle’s cloud-native solutions, companies can streamline operations, enhance cross-functional teamwork and build a culture of continuous change. This integrated approach ensures that transformations don’t just launch—they last, generating tangible results for companies.
Leadership’s role in large-scale transformations
Technology transformations are essential but increasingly complex, especially with the growing use of generative AI (gen AI). This complexity raises the stakes—70% of large-scale IT projects fail to meet their objectives, often not due to failures of technology, but due to a lack of human-centered change processes. i
Effective leaders align operations, technology and people around strategic goals, ensuring employees understand both what the transformation will achieve and why it is important. A clear and compelling vision fosters engagement, inspiring the workforce to embrace change as a shared journey.
- Why it matters: 80% of companies include change in their long-term strategies, yet only 30% feel confident in their change capabilities.ii
- The challenge: Companies often focus on deploying technology, while change management becomes an afterthought, leading to poor adoption and unmet objectives.
Accenture helps clients achieve smoother transformations by engaging leadership early. For example, in one of our recent Oracle transformations, our team organized leadership offsites to promote collaboration and alignment among the transformation’s leaders. This proved to be invaluable time for the leaders to reflect on how they can be more intentional and strategic in minimizing resistance and building momentum before new systems are deployed. This type of proactive engagement helps bridge the gap between technology and adoption.
A framework for change leadership
At the core of our human-centered change approach is the Me, We, Us framework. This offers what we believe is the key to sustainable transformation—the ability to identify and navigate between individual, team, and enterprise-level impacts and responsibilities:
Me, we, us
“How will my role and work change?” and “What is my responsibility in this?”
The “Me” focuses on personal responsibility. It is where individuals think first about themselves – WIIFM or What’s in it for me?
“How will my team and our work change?” and “What is our responsibility in this?”
The “We” focuses on team-level responsibility and is where groups of individuals—a workstream, a department, a regional team—orient to how the changes will impact their ways of working and team goals. In our experience, it is common for team members to feel a strong sense of solidarity and identity here. This undoubtedly is a strength, but in large-scale transformations—where departments, regional offices and business units need to collaborate across organizational boundaries—a We-only mindset can be a chokepoint if those teams cannot move beyond a tribalistic perspective. Teams must be able to connect in with other teams to achieve company goals.
“How will our company change?” and “What is our responsibility in helping our company better serve our customers, employees, and shareholders?”
The “Us” is an often-overlooked ingredient in aligning individuals to the transformation vision. It requires broader systems-thinking of interdependencies. Most companies implementing modern cloud systems are traditionally siloed by functions where employees and leaders lack an end-to-end understanding of business processes. The Us mindset is crucial for breaking down these barriers in large transformations.
Pockets of resistance usually emerge when team members adopt a Me or We-only view of the transformation. However, when change leaders articulate a powerful value-narrative that compellingly blends the benefits and responsibilities across the Me, We, and Us layers, lasting change is not only possible but highly likely to succeed.
As you can see, this framework emphasizes human-centered change by engaging leaders and teams in natural ways of how we think and feel as real people at work. Using this framework positions change as a core component of the transformation and not just an afterthought. Applying behavioral science techniques, like segmenting user groups and designing emotionally appealing messages, are key to helping employees feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.
Lessons from real-world transformations
Transformations often encounter challenges, such as employee resistance and misaligned priorities. Accenture’s research reveals that companies that continuously manage change are 2.2 times more likely to outperform their peers. iii
This insight underscores the importance of treating change as a core capability, with a focus on continuous change rather than a series of isolated projects.
For example, one company facing disengagement after previous transformations partnered with Accenture to co-create immersive and experiential “transformation roadshows” for regional teams. These personalized, single-day events connected local and headquarters teams, demonstrated new tools and gathered real-time feedback. As a result, regional employees began to see where they fit in the initiative and embraced the transformation well before the official rollout, proving that early engagement and collaboration are essential for success.
Just as important is the role of data-driven governance. Creating a feedback loop where lessons from one project inform the next ensures continuous improvement and keeps organizations agile and adaptable. With this approach, leaders can maintain momentum across transformation efforts, aligning teams with long-term goals and cultivating a culture of sustained growth.
Technology + Leadership: A powerful partnership
Choosing the right technology stack is crucial for sustainable transformation. A well-integrated platform supports operations and aligns with strategic goals, helping organizations manage change effectively.
Oracle’s cloud-native platform integrates critical business systems—spanning ERP, human capital management, supply chain and customer management—into a unified digital infrastructure, streamlining operations and facilitating collaboration across departments.
Oracle’s multi-cloud capabilities enable companies to run workloads on platforms like Azure and AWS, ensuring smooth transitions between environments, minimizing disruptions so businesses can remain focused on strategy and their people.
Platforms such as Oracle’s Guided Learning play a crucial role by delivering in-app, real-time training, empowering employees to build skills as they work. Accenture leverages this integrated approach to help businesses reduces friction, accelerates adoption and ensures alignment between people, processes and systems, driving sustainable success.
Driving lasting change
We strongly believe sustainable transformation requires more than technology—it demands continuous reinvention and inspiring leaders who activate teams to realize strategic objectives. Organizations that embed change into their core operations position themselves for long-term success and build greater resilience to face future challenges.
Accenture’s experience highlights three critical pillars of transformation success:
- Aligned leadership: Leaders must act as architects of change, guiding teams toward shared goals and ensuring alignment across individuals, teams, and the broader organization (Me, We, Us).
- Engaged employees: Empowered teams actively contribute to transformation efforts, driving smoother adoption and sustainable momentum.
- Sustainable change culture: A commitment to continuous improvement ensures companies remain agile and adaptable in an evolving market.
With Oracle-powered solutions and Accenture’s human-centered change strategies, organizations unlock new opportunities and position themselves for lasting success. This integrated approach ensures that transformations thrive, delivering meaningful value for employees, customers and businesses alike.