Episode 289

In this episode of the Unscripted podcast, host Sarah Nicastro welcomes Dr. Kawal Kapoor, Research Manager at the Advanced Services Group of Aston Business School, and Sandra Benbow, Senior Industrial Fellow and Servitization Mentor, for a discussion based on both their research and hands-on work with firms, about how coalitions play a valuable role in the Servitization journey.

Kawal oversees research for the Advanced Services Partnership, focusing on publishing in top peer-reviewed journals and creating executive workshops and mini-guides on servitization. In her book, Servitization Strategy, she explores outcome-based business models, known as Advanced Services Business Models, offering practical guidance on how firms can innovate these services through servitization.

Sandra is a business growth coach, ecosystem builder, and innovation champion. Over the last twenty years, she has helped over 400 founders and senior executives launch, scale, and grow their businesses. Sandra is also a Business Growth and Management Coach for the Evergreen Coaching Group and an ITU Digital Ecosystem Expert at the International Telecommunication Union.

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Episode Highlights:

• [07:31] - The Role of a Coalition: To drive servitization in your organization, build a strong coalition of dedicated individuals across different departments. This coalition unites key stakeholders, breaks down silos, and fosters collaboration, making it easier to overcome resistance and secure necessary resources. Working together as a group allows organizations to share risks, pool resources, and push forward the transformation more effectively.
• [12:13] - Building a Powerhouse Servitization Team: Building a successful servitization coalition starts by bringing together senior leaders with influence, credibility, and respect across various departments like product, marketing, sales, and service. This diverse team ensures different perspectives are represented, helping to break down silos, educate the company and drive change.
• [17:23] - Drive Change and Overcome Challenges: For a coalition to be effective in driving change, it's vital to have a clear, shared vision that everyone aligns with to keep the team motivated and focused. Appoint a strong leader to guide strategic direction and assign responsibilities based on members' strengths. Build a positive, collaborative environment with open communication, and plan for conflicts and setbacks. Also, avoid focusing solely on long-term goals. Prioritize short-term wins to keep up the momentum and prevent morale from dropping.
• [26:58] - How Strong Coalitions Drive Transformation: Companies that form a strong, diverse coalition early in their transformation journey tend to succeed more quickly as they bring together key players across different levels and departments, including those with direct customer contact. On the other hand, companies without senior-level buy-in or broad support often struggle, and their efforts can stall, as seen when key advocates leave due to frustration.