Why lasting transformation starts with the conversations organisations aren’t having.
Ask Sarah Cornally how organisations achieve peak performance, and her answer might seem breathtakingly simple:
“Developing an appetite to find the small and non-obvious things that make a big difference.”
But as a Partner at Acumen Global Partners, she quickly adds that lasting change is anything but simple. True business transformation, she says, doesn’t come from applying off-the-shelf solutions, it comes from understanding the subtleties of human systems.
“You can’t take your strategies off the shelf and just plug them in and play. It requires understanding the nuances. The nuances that are so important that if you don’t pay attention, it will undermine the very thing that you’re trying to do.”
Why Change Needs to Be Chosen – Not Imposed
One of the biggest myths in business is that people don’t like change. In Cornally’s view, this is simply not true.
“People like change that will improve their lives. They pursue change when it makes sense – especially when they have some degree of choice. They enjoy it when it is inspiring and have the minimum requirements to achieve it.”
The real art, she says, is tapping into people’s desire to be part of the change. That means creating a sense of purpose, clarity, and safety – so individuals feel secure enough to step into the unknown.
Unleashing Innovation Requires Rethinking the System
According to Robert McVicar, the biggest blockers to innovation are often baked into the structure of organisations themselves.
“Organisations are generally designed for stability, repeatability and consistency. That runs completely counter to creativity and innovation.”
He recalls one engagement where a CFO shared that 17 signatures were needed to approve a single change.
“That scenario didn’t foster innovation – it crushed it. Yet, structurally, most organisations are set up to stifle change.”
Rather than fight that reality, Acumen helps organisations redesign how they function – streamlining decision-making and creating the conditions for ideas to emerge, spread and evolve.
The Answers Are Already There – If You Know How to Listen
Both Cornally and McVicar agree that the insights most organisations need are already inside the system, but they’re often hidden beneath surface-level conversations or organisational silence.
“Whenever Acumen is invited to evaluate a situation,” says Cornally, “all the wisdom for the answers is already in the organisation. People have been trying to communicate it, but the system isn’t listening in a way that allows it to be heard.”
“Most organisations listen very poorly,” says McVicar. “We work with leaders to build the internal capacity to have these conversations on an ongoing basis because that’s how transformation becomes sustainable.”
Building Cultures That Invite Creativity and Risk
Innovation arises from pressure and psychological safety.
“People enjoy being creative, solving challenges, making new discoveries,” says Cornally. “But only when the culture supports risk-taking and learning from failure.”
“If someone isn’t performing,” says Cornally, “ask what you as a leader might not be seeing. Are they in the wrong role? Is there a clarity gap? Is there a fear they’re not voicing?”
“To get high performance, you have to create a culture where people can take risks, reflect, and recover,” McVicar adds. “Otherwise, they will default to safety and self-protection, and that blocks growth.”
Change That Lasts Happens in Small, Deliberate Steps
While many leaders look for bold, sweeping moves, Acumen focuses on what they call micro shifts – the small, deliberate changes that accumulate into transformation.
“Change mostly occurs in leaders microscopically,” McVicar explains. “They see it incrementally – one habit, one decision, one relationship at a time.”
That’s why Acumen’s change model includes:
– Leader-led transformation
– Alignment to strategy and business priorities
– Engagement through generative small groups
– Microlearning that sticks
– Long-term reinforcement to embed change
“We don’t just come in, run a few sessions and leave,” he says. “We help leaders build systems and capability that endure.”
Helping Organisations Reconnect With Themselves
Ultimately, Cornally says, transformation is about more than performance – it’s about reconnecting a business to its own purpose and potential.
“Our job is to connect an organisation back to itself. Most people are hunkered down, doing what they’ve always done. We help them make everything practical, doable and inspire the buy-in they need to move forward.”
“The most powerful ideas don’t necessarily come from the top,” says McVicar. “They come from within. Our role is to help organisations hear themselves, and act on what they find.”
Are You Ready to Unlock the Intelligence Within Your Organisation?
At Acumen Global Partners, we help senior leaders guide transformational change by building systems that listen, adapt, and innovate from within.
Contact us to explore how we can support your organisation to change, grow, and perform at its peak.