Navigating the Corporate Maze
I recently read an interesting article by Sergio Visinoni titled “Navigating the Corporate Maze” on Substack. The article offers a guide for engineering leaders aiming to drive strategic changes within large, bureaucratic organisations where change often seems impossible. It outlines a four-step process: drawing maps of the new environment, clarifying your role, building bridges, and driving change incrementally.
When I transitioned into a domain architect (Technical Authority) role after being the lead data scientist in the same department, I attempted to follow a similar pattern in my large organisation. Step 1, mapping the environment, came quite naturally as I already knew all the stakeholders. The challenge here was that stakeholders tended to view me in my old position. I constantly needed to remind them that I was in a new role with different responsibilities and ways of working.
This largely relates to step 2, clarifying your role. In my case, after a reorganisation, clarifying my new role – which was simultaneously new to the organisation – was the largest hurdle. This required constant proactive involvement and explanation from my side. However, I noticed that with most groups of colleagues, this started to move in the right direction after some time. For example, I went from having to chase to be part of a decision-making meeting to being asked to join.
Step 3, building bridges, is also something I had already applied and seen working. From my peer technical authorities in other domains, I learned to frame initiatives in light of the company goals and agenda. This makes it much easier for decision-makers to approve your requests. I also found that mapping stakeholders and their needs in enterprise architecture tools helped me to frame initiatives against the correct goals and agenda.
Overall, this is a really good article with applicable insights for large corporations. I especially liked the insight to move with the company’s rhythm. As with other things in life and nature, this is almost always the most effective course of action.
Don’t go against the Company’s Rhythm: In a crash between a cargo boat and a powerboat, the cargo boat wins. Instead of being the powerboat, learn to nudge the cargo boat in the right direction.
Understanding and appreciating this natural rhythm, much like the seasons, is crucial for long-term success and well-being when navigating the complexities of a large organisation.
