Lessons from Nearly 30 Years of Organizational Transformation
For almost three decades, I have been immersed in the work of guiding organizations through necessary and all demanding growth. When asked about my experience, I respond with “over 20 years,” though the reality is closer to 30. This journey has not been defined by titles, but by the recurring recognition that something within an organization—be it systems, messaging, or operational methods—no longer aligns with its actual behavior or the needs of its customers.
Throughout my career, I have contributed to large, regulated organizations, professional services firms, and advisory businesses. Sometimes I was asked to help when change was already inevitable; other times, I initiated it by bringing insights from previous contexts and applying them deliberately in new settings. The following observations are not a philosophy of change, but lessons drawn from the essential, often behind-the-scenes work that organizations undertake in response to reality.
Transformation Is Driven by Reality, Not Aspiration
In the early stages of my career, success was measured by achieving milestones, adhering to budgets, and delivering on commitments—practices that have remained integral to how I work. Over time, I realized that change seldom begins with a desire to innovate for its own sake; rather, it starts when leaders recognize that established approaches are no longer sufficient.
At Waste Management, development was not simply a reaction; it was a proactive effort I helped lead. The organization’s public education initiatives spanned many municipalities, yet communication remained largely analog in an increasingly digital world. Drawing on previous experience, I guided the shift to digital marketing—enabling outreach that met residents in familiar spaces and allowed for real-time engagement tracking. This transition was not about following trends, but about enhancing reach, accountability, and relevance. In a regulated and public-facing environment, it required translating digital practices thoughtfully to ensure consistency, credibility, and compliance while modernizing communications. The progress was purposeful: leveraging proven methods and adapting them to new contexts so the organization could operate with greater responsiveness and insight.
Necessary Improvement Often Begins with the Customer
Across nearly every organization I have worked with, the catalyst for change was the same: the organization had changed, but its understanding of the customer had not. At Waste Management, the definition of “customer” was complex—residents, municipal leaders, regulators, and internal stakeholders all required different information, delivered through various channels and at varying levels of detail. Success depended on clearly defining these audiences and tailoring communication without losing coherence.
Later, at Keystone Partners, I was brought in to correct misalignments between evolving services and the marketing systems meant to support them. Lead tracking and attribution were disjointed, and SEO and content strategies were disrupted by a website redesign. Most critically, there was no shared understanding of the priority audiences, their decision-making processes, or what was driving demand. The challenge was not in identifying these issues, but in addressing them. This involved rebuilding attribution and lead tracking, revisiting customer personas with discipline, clarifying decision-makers and influencers, and ensuring messaging reflected actual customer evaluation rather than the organization’s assumptions. With these foundations restored, strategy became actionable rather than theoretical.
Success Falters When Ownership Is Diffuse
In many organizations, marketing is not dismissed or undervalued; instead, it suffers from a lack of clear ownership, as does the focus on the customer. Sales leaders influence messaging due to their proximity to prospects, product leaders contribute because they understand the offerings, and agencies fill in the gaps to keep work moving forward. This leads to effort without cohesion.
When marketing leadership is present, one of the most impactful changes is the establishment of audience ownership—not as a static document, but as a guiding reference for decision-making: what to prioritize, what to eliminate, and what no longer aligns. Such ownership enables progress to be intentional rather than reactive.
Experience and Leadership Solve Different Problems
I have worked with and managed outstanding senior managers and directors whose skills are vital to execution. However, organizations often expect these roles to navigate ambiguity, define direction, and maintain coherence during change—without granting the authority necessary to do so.
As Interim Head of Marketing at CEB and in other fractional leadership roles, the importance of true leadership became evident. The benefit was not just in increased productivity, but in reduced need for rework. Clearer priorities, aligned personas, and a shared customer perspective meant teams did not have to reinterpret the customer in every meeting. Leadership does not remove complexity, but it contains it.
Agencies Support Growth—They Don’t Drive It
My experience with agencies has revealed that the most successful collaborations share two qualities: continuity and a strong internal perspective on the customer. Agency relationships become fragile when internal ownership is missing—when project managers change frequently, priorities shift based on spending, or agencies must infer audience needs without adequate context.
No agency, regardless of skill, is as close to the product, service, or customer as the organization itself. Agencies are most effective when internal leaders define direction and ensure continuity. Without this, growth slows or loses focus.
The Quiet Cost of Avoiding Change
A recurring pattern is that when leadership is unclear, the demands of necessary planning is disperse throughout the organization. Strategy discussions leak into sales meetings, messaging decisions arise in product reviews, and executives spend time resolving issues that should be based on shared understanding. This work is rarely accounted for, but it is significant.
When leadership is established and the customer is clearly understood, these conversations are shorter and decisions are made faster. Energy shifts from making corrections to making progress.
How I’ve Changed with Time
Even at the beginning of my career, I was not merely executing tasks; I was looking ahead. A director once observed that I had a knack for thinking ten steps ahead—a compliment that resonated because it captured an instinct I had not yet named.
Time has refined that instinct into discernment. Now, I pay close attention to organizational readiness, assessing when momentum is needed, when stabilization is crucial, and when it is necessary to slow down and realign. I consider whether systems, roles, and audience understanding are in place to support future initiatives.
Some organizations must evolve quickly, others need to integrate before progressing, and some must revisit their purpose before making further moves. Nearly thirty years of work have taught me that effectiveness is achieved by pairing foresight with restraint—not only envisioning what is next but knowing what the organization is ready to sustain. Growth should be deliberate, not dramatic; when done well, it enables organizations to move forward with clarity, steadiness, and confidence, without pretending that change is something it is not.
