People are far more likely to embrace a future they helped create than one that was simply delivered to them. Yet many organizations still approach transformation efforts in exactly the opposite way.
A few weeks ago, we met with an organization struggling through a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) transformation. The project was behind schedule, additional funding was being requested, employees were skeptical, and leaders were increasingly frustrated. The immediate reaction was one we’ve seen many times before: “We need more training.” But training wasn’t the problem… trust was.
The technology itself was moving forward. The project team was working hard, the implementation partner was delivering, and the system was steadily taking shape. Yet somewhere along the way, the organization made a common (and often costly) assumption: if the system is ready, the business will be ready too. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Employees didn’t fully understand how their work would change. Leaders struggled to consistently answer questions about the future state. Teams felt the transformation was being designed around them rather than with them. As confidence declined, trust began to erode. What started as a technology implementation challenge evolved into something much more difficult: rebuilding belief in the transformation itself.
The encouraging news is that this wasn’t fundamentally a technology problem. It was a trust, engagement, and leadership challenge – and those challenges can be solved. In fact, this situation highlights a broader issue many organizations don’t recognize until it becomes expensive. Companies often spend months preparing technology while dedicating only a fraction of that time to preparing the people expected to make it successful.
We May Be Focusing on the Wrong Thing
Most transformation initiatives involve extensive discussions around requirements, integrations, data structures, testing strategies, deployment plans, and go-live readiness. These are all critical conversations, but they often overshadow an equally important question: How will employees experience the change?
Over the years, I’ve noticed that organizations frequently spend more time testing software than understanding how people will respond to it. We rigorously test whether a system works. But how often do we test whether people understand it? Whether they believe in it? Whether they see themselves in the future it creates? Whether they trust it? The greatest risk to many transformations isn’t the technology itself – It’s the assumptions leaders make about the people expected to adopt it.
People Don’t Resist Change
Conventional wisdom often suggests that people resist change. I see it differently. People adapt to change every day. What they resist is uncertainty.
They resist not understanding why decisions were made. They resist mixed messages and inconsistent leadership. They resist being excluded from conversations that directly affect their work. Most importantly, they resist feeling that change is happening to them rather than with them. When that happens, adoption slows. Questions multiply. Workarounds emerge. Trust declines. Transformation costs begin to rise – not because the technology failed, but because the human experience was underestimated.
The Most Important Questions Leaders Should Ask
One question has become increasingly important in every transformation conversation I have: Are we designing the future state with our employees or for our employees?
The difference is significant. Organizations that realize the greatest value from transformation don’t simply communicate decisions after they’re made. They engage employees early, validate assumptions, invite feedback, listen actively, and adjust when needed. They create opportunities for employees and leaders to shape the future together.
Why does this matter? Because people are far more likely to embrace a future they helped create than one that was simply delivered to them.
Engagement Is Not a Communication Plan
Too often, engagement is treated as a project activity rather than a leadership responsibility. A town hall, a newsletter, a survey, or a training class may be valuable tools, but engagement is much more than communication. True engagement creates ownership.
It helps people understand not only what is changing, but why it matters. It builds trust before skepticism takes hold, creates confidence before uncertainty spreads, and gives employees a voice before resistance emerges. Training prepares people for a system. Engagement prepares people for a future. That distinction matters.
Why This Matters for PLM
PLM transformations are uniquely powerful because they connect engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, operations, and service through a shared digital foundation. Technology creates that connection, but people bring it to life. That’s one of the reasons I’m excited about the partnership between Siemens and Trissential.
Siemens helps organizations transform how products are designed, developed, manufactured, and supported through industry-leading PLM solutions. Trissential helps organizations engage leaders, teams, and employees throughout the journey – building trust, readiness, adoption, and ultimately business value. Together we help organizations bridge the gap between implementation and realization. Because technology implementation is only one part of the journey. Real transformation occurs when people embrace new ways of working and begin creating value from them.
One Final Challenge
As you think about your own transformation efforts, consider this question: Are you spending as much effort building trust as you are building technology?
The organizations that realize the greatest value aren’t necessarily the ones with the best systems. They’re the ones that create the confidence, capability, and commitment needed to make those systems successful. Technology enables transformation. People determine whether it succeeds. And people are far more likely to embrace a future they helped create than one that was simply delivered to them.
Learn more about Trissential’s Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness Services: Organizational Effectiveness | Strategy & Management Consulting
Talk to the Expert
Wanita Thostenson – Director, Organizational Effectiveness
wanita.thostenson@trissential.com
