Once a company has formulated and articulated its clear overarching purpose, all subsequent transformations should link directly to it. Moreover, all employees should be able to see how their contributions help the company succeed in those transformations—and better fulfill the company’s broader purpose. All three elements are crucial: a well-defined and shared purpose for the company, a specific link to the transformation at hand, and a clear connection between employees’ actions and contributions to the company’s objectives.

Some practical actions that companies can take to embed a clear purpose in their transformation efforts include the following:

Ensuring that the company has a clearly defined and articulated purpose that captures the “why” underlying how it functions

Translating the transformation’s purpose into language and objectives that hold meaning for individual employees (beyond making money for shareholders)

Communicating the company’s objectives consistently throughout the transformation effort—starting with senior management down through peer-level employees

Using creative methods—such as inspiring videos and staff events—to engage employees so that they clearly understand the purpose of the transformation and how they can contribute to it

Sustain employees’ energy. In an environment of always-on transformation, companies need to treat transformation as if it were a triathlon, not a sprint. Transformations are typically intense efforts that require employees to go beyond their normal baseline workload. An all-out sprint may work for the first few months, but eventually fatigue will set in and employees will be less able to contribute—particularly when another transformation is likely right around the corner.

A better way is to think like triathletes, who have to swim, bike, and run. Triathletes learn to pace themselves so that they can excel in all three disciplines. Rather than asking employees to maintain a high level of engagement nonstop, companies need to intersperse commitments to high-demand transformation projects with time for true recovery. With the right pacing, employees will be able to engage enthusiastically on each new assignment asked of them, without losing energy. (Notably, there is one group that simply cannot take a break: the senior leadership team.)

Among the practical actions companies can take to sustain the energy of their workforce are the following:

Recruiting employees who thrive in a transformation environment

Addressing resistance openly and overcoming resistance through candid conversations

Structuring initiatives and employees’ roles so as to contribute to personal growth and development

Allowing employees to recover from energy-intensive transformation efforts before assigning them to the next one

Build pivotal capabilities. Companies are increasingly embarking on transformations that rewire the way they operate—including new business models, digitization, and fundamental changes to the roles of business units and functions. As a result, companies invariably need to build new capabilities, such as processes, knowledge, skills, tools, and behaviors. Knowing how to identify and develop these capabilities in any given transformation is pivotal to success. (See the sidebar “A Software Company Builds New Capabilities as Part of a Transformation.”)