“From the Inside Out” is a concept that recognizes the critical role of an internal transformation agent as a catalyst to complement external transformation consultancies. While an external consultancy typically plays a key role in the overall change management and adoption process flow for a transformation to occur, the actual tipping point in the transformation process often occurs well into the adoption lifecycle. That means the transformation must be sustained until it gets to that tipping point and this is why an internal transformation agent plays such a vital role; someone inside the organization must sustain the progress and refine the adoption until the tipping point is reached.
This internal role becomes a catalyst and serves as both a driver and enabler for the transformation. To achieve this objective, the engagement of the internal role begins as the adoption plans and processes are initiated in collaboration with the external consultancy, and the driving contributions of the role continue throughout the process as initial traction and momentum are built. Note that the role is much more than a trainer, or coach, or change management leader; it requires a true transformation agent*.
Being on the “inside” allows the transformation agent to actively adapt the processes as needed to engage the set of internal stakeholders and impacted teams. Over time, as the transformation successes reach a tipping point, the benefits of the adopted changes are actively spread outward and begin to impact the culture of the teams and the broader organization as a whole. That’s what makes “from the inside out” so powerful.
*The transformation agent “from the inside out” will be tied in a later segment to the concept of “Middle-Up-Down Management” as described by Nonaka (1998).