Transformation Owner (TO)

The transformation itself “belongs” to the entire organization and thus to all employees. Often, however, a top-level executive (top management, board of directors, chairman of the board) takes on a type of sponsor role.

In the traditional world, a sponsor is usually someone who observes the object of their sponsorship from the outside and only takes part in performance committees (also known as steering committees). The very nature of the job is focused on letting people report rather than taking active control.

In the context of the Living Transformation®, we deliberately use a different term: Transformation Owner (TO). The word “owner” makes it much clearer what responsibility and active involvement a TO has in comparison to a classic sponsor.

Across many organizations that use the Living Transformation® approach, this particular interpretation of the TO’s role has an impact on the organization’s design. The issue of steering and managing the transformation (not the content design and work on the transformation epics themselves) is often seen as a senior position that reports directly to the TO, close to the top level. This results in the benefits of direct communication without loss of time or context. Furthermore, this organizational representation is a clear signal regarding the importance and urgency of the transformation.