Transformation doesn’t happen in the boardroom

Every company has a transformation agenda, whether it’s AI adoption, improved productivity, new operating models, or workforce agility. But for organizations with large frontline workforces, the real transformation test is what happens when a manager needs to fill an open shift at 7 a.m. That manager needs to know who is available, who has the right skills, what they will cost, whether assigning them creates a compliance issue, and how the decision affects the employee and the business. In many organizations, those answers aren’t easily found. This is where transformation breaks down. In new research from my company, Dayforce, 80% of executives and managers shared that daily operations shift attention from transformation efforts or they prevent advancements from sticking. Just 6% of those surveyed say transformation is properly integrated in day-to-day work. For leaders, that points to an important shift in thinking: Transformation cannot be something we ask people to do in addition to their jobs. It must become part of how their jobs get done. THE OPERATING LAYER MATTERS Executives spend significant time developing and defining strategy. But that strategy’s success depends on tho…