Follow the Flow SA
The Power Within

Introducing organisational change frequently triggers a natural resistance among teams and individuals when traditional structures are disrupted. However, it is in these moments of resistance that the seeds of growth and innovation are sown. Embracing change adaptively enables organisations to redefine their limits, rewrite their story, and welcome a future full of endless possibilities.

That said, manoeuvring through change is a daunting endeavour, with Harvard Business Review reporting that over 70 per cent of change initiatives fall short of their intended goals. As leadership charts a course for transformation in the newly built boat of organisational change, they often find themselves navigating against a current of resistance stemming from uncertainties or a lack of understanding about the change and its benefits. This usually leads to difficulties in communication, collaboration, and decision-making that hinder chances of success.

In pursuit of assisting businesses to overcome this challenge, Follow the Flow SA, a living change management consultancy, has emerged as a catalyst that bridges the void between change initiatives and achieving successful outcomes. Drawing on a wealth of expertise and a proven track record, it empowers businesses to navigate the unpredictable terrain of change confidently, ensuring their transformational endeavours result in consistent, meaningful and sustainable success.

“Our approach deals with visible and invisible elements, bringing disruptive strategies to the table. We are pragmatic, adaptive, and dedicated to activating organisational resilience,” says Floriane Fonjallaz, CEO of Follow the Flow SA.

Liberating Organisational Core Culture

Aiming to create a safe space for individuals to co-create and evolve into their best versions, Follow the Flow SA empowers teams and organisations to uncover their true potential and adapt to ever-evolving environments through its human-centric change management services. The mission is to facilitate the human aspects of change within organisations, identify issues that hinder projects and transformations, and activate their resilience to stay aligned with the long-term vision of their soulful purpose.

While organisations often focus on addressing visible resistance, Follow the Flow SA helps them reframe their perspective to genuinely discern the underlying elements and needs. The company believes that resistance typically arises for valid reasons, and leaders must address them to build resilience and effectively guide their projects. Therefore, it takes a meticulous approach to analysing the situation and bringing awareness to its root causes.

This deep dive helps unearth the true nature of the organisation’s challenges—its ‘ghosts’—that frequently emerge during projects. These shadowy forces often are also colouring the organisational culture. They are made of unresolved needs, hidden emotions and beliefs, past experiences, and traumas, which can hinder progress and make it challenging to evolve and succeed. But these shadows aren’t inherently bad. Once the organisation has brought their existence to light, they can become its greatest source of development and resilience. “Power stems out of the way an organisation deals with its shadows.” says Fonjallaz.

Turning Resistance into Readiness

Follow the Flow SA’s approach is accomplished by following a four-step process that blends meticulous planning with agile execution. The journey begins by mapping the organisational context and shadows, starting with a deep understanding of the reasons behind the desired change. By delving into the essence of an organisation’s core values and purpose, the firm lays the foundation for a transformational route that resonates with both the people and the organisation’s goals.

With the map in hand, Follow the Flow SA moves on to designing a strategy by considering multidimensional perspectives, which serves as a compass for the change journey. This elaborate portrayal facilitates a holistic understanding of the destination and ensures alignment across the organisation for effective execution. During this process, it prioritizes actions that are most critical to success and determines what can be outsourced to existing organisational functions, like HR.

Equipped with a change map and compass, the company then embarks on a hike that includes implementing the strategy with a clear destination. It remains actively engaged with all stakeholders throughout the journey, continuously adapting the map and route to ensure the transformation stays relevant and effective.

The company’s commitment does not end with reaching milestones. Anchoring the transformation is the final step in the process, where it evaluates the long-term sustainability of the change. It assesses the endurance of the new mindset and practices, ensuring that the client’s evolution extends beyond mere moments of success. Any remaining obstacles are addressed, creating a sturdy foundation for ongoing growth and adaptation.

Since its inception, Follow the Flow SA has consistently demonstrated its expertise in dealing with numerous companies’ organisational shadows. One notable example is when it assisted a client with a comprehensive transformation of their budgeting process at the organisational level. With evolving objectives and the need for worldwide acceptance, the client encountered adoption challenges across their global offices. Collaboratively, Follow the Flow SA embarked on designing a tailored journey for individuals within these offices to navigate through the change.

To foster the adoption, Follow the Flow SA delved deep into understanding the underlying causes of resistance and reframed the concerns of those involved. It discovered that organisational shadows strained relationships between project members and office personnel. Using this knowledge, the firm actively participated in transparent conversations, revitalising cooperation and cultivating an environment of trust.

Once all the parties’ perspectives were acknowledged and their concerns were addressed, they became enthusiastic stakeholders and ambassadors for the change initiative. Ultimately, the efforts undertaken by Follow the Flow SA and the client resulted in remarkable outcomes as the transformation was not only accomplished within the planned timeline and budget but also served as a benchmark for future endeavours.

Building the Bedrock for Successful Change

Follow the Flow SA’s guiding philosophy centres on the belief that intuition, creativity and humanity are indispensable ingredients for facilitating change. Harnessing these qualities alongside holistic practices, it breaks down barriers and enhances awareness. The company also relies on three foundational elements for a successful transformation: a genuine intention to start with, a heartful collaboration, and welcoming the unexpected along the way. This ensures the organisation’s mission remains at the forefront of decision-making while taking care of stakeholders’ well-being.

“Embracing the human behind the job title is a crucial step towards encouraging individuals to bring their authentic selves to the table. This usually triggers them starting to interact with their full beings: body, heart and soul,” says Fonjallaz. Reinforcing psychological safety within the team inspires honesty throughout the transformation journey and prevents hidden agendas, while nurturing relationships and enabling successful collaboration. When individuals know they can openly express who they are without fear of judgment, they are more inclined to recognize and address issues early, thereby unlocking the organisational potential.

Acknowledging that organisations, like individuals, are living entities, Follow the Flow SA strives to harmonize and work with this living system to drive meaningful evolution. When taking on a project, the company works on three critical, internal levels to ensure it delivers only the highest quality services: contextual alignment, relationship building and activity enhancement.

Combining holistic methodologies and tools with a wellspring of IT and psychology expertise, Follow the Flow SA stands out as a trusted partner in guiding organisations through transformative journeys. Drawing upon intuition, ancestral wisdom, such as Enneagram or traditional Feng Shui, and a diverse set of tools such as the Prosci ADKAR model, it is poised to adeptly dismantle obstacles and enable organisations to embrace the natural flow of change, serving their soulful purpose with confidence and success.