What would I do differently next time, if asked to lead transformation again?

 A very powerful question indeed, leading to constructive reflection on things gone wrong and whether these were preventable and how! 

Having lead several transformation programs, some of which got delivered at compromised levels, here are my set of doing it differently next time list:

Make desired-outcome count – in tangible and individual terms:  While everyone has goals linked to their role in the team, assuming everyone playing his/her part will lead to achievement of overall outcome is a big assumption.  There would always be unsaid expectations, dependencies and assumptions that will reveal themselves later when things fall short.  I wish I had kept big enough reward and penalty upfront tied to overall achievement that would act as glue for all members to stick together through the course and keep them motivated to stretch to address unrealized gaps and unplanned disruptions. 

Make the entry to the team more rigorous:  Neither the gap in commitment and nor in competence is going to be easy to live with.  Formal fitment process, if compromised in the name of expediency or no-alternative scenario, will come to hurt.  I wish I had been less accommodating in on-boarding partial fits (for whatever reasons) and more direct and quick in offloading misfits (or outfits) during the course of journey without much delay. 

Never allow the Program Governance meeting postpone:  Program governance exists to provide direction and decisions, monitor outcomes and evaluate performances with clear consequences in a transparent and fair manner.  There are several ways to make governance effective, say by using standard frameworks, consistent formats, open & structured discussions focused on issues and risks at hand, recognition of interdependencies, data analytics etc, etc, etc, but all these levers loose their might, the moment governance meeting gets rescheduled, for whatever seemingly genuine reason.   

YES, the above lessons are not intellectually incisive or sophisticated, but look simple and obvious- yet these are the one that, I realize if adhered to, would have improved the outcomes by some notches for sure.