Why Change efforts often feel disconnected – and what to do about it

Change is hard. And too often, it can feel disconnected. People hear one thing, but experience another. The result?

Confusion, resistance, and missed opportunities.

Thankfully, we’re seeing more organisations putting change at the heart of their HR and Finance transformations. Speaking to many of these organisations, the lesson is clear: without the right cultural mindset and capabilities, even the best transformation efforts can fall flat.

Our SaaS Mindset™ methodology helps organisations align culture, organisational structures, and technology, because when these three elements reinforce each other, change becomes sustainable.

The credibility gap: When culture is overlooked

One of the most common pitfalls we see in transformation is overlooking culture. Take the example of becoming more data-led, a driver we often hear from organisations and one of the six pillars in our SaaS Mindset™ Methodology. A company might invest in powerful new analytics functionality to support smarter, faster decision-making and leaders may make big statements about the benefits these new tools will bring. But if the culture doesn’t value curiosity, continuous learning, or lacks the capability to act on insights, employees may see the system as intrusive or simply irrelevant.

This misalignment creates a credibility gap between what people are told and what they experience.

When change efforts also focus on shifting organisational mindsets and building capabilities, teams begin to take ownership of their data. They use it to seek insights, make decisions and tell stories. Data becomes a shared language and, over time, part of the organisational DNA.

The SaaS Mindset™

Why culture is often neglected

Cultural change is often the hardest part of transformation and, usually, the most neglected. Why?

Because it is intangible.

Unlike technology, culture isn’t something you can configure and deploy. It’s deeply embedded; it lives in behaviours, beliefs and unwritten norms. It takes time, patience and intention to shift. And the shift is often charged with emotion. A sure-fire trigger for resistance.

It's also harder to measure. Its progress isn’t always visible in adoption metrics, it’s felt in how people collaborate, lead and show up.

Because of this, many programmes focus on what is easier to plan and quantify; technology rollouts, process redesign, policy updates, and role changes. But without cultural alignment, these efforts alone struggle to deliver transformational outcomes.   

Building alignment that lasts

Alignment between culture, organisational structures and technology doesn’t happen by chance; it must be built intentionally.

It starts with being clear, defining the strategic outcomes of transformation and the level of ambition behind it. Equally important is understanding where the organisation stands today. Only then can leaders identify where change is needed - across systems, organisational structures, and culture - and plan a path to deliver it.

For so many organisations the need to transform is rooted in efficiency. How can HR and Finance functions do more with less? How can they move away from time-consuming transactional activity to add strategic value to the business?

Another key pillar of the SaaS Mindset™ methodology is self-sufficiency. A critical factor in delivering efficiency. While this absolutely means maximising the use of self-service through technology and AI, it also means that people in the organisation must shift away from heavy reliance on support functions and feel empowered to operate independently.

Many organisations recognise that technology can unlock gains in efficiency. Gartner’s Digital Workplace Trends 2024 puts it simply: “Self-service capabilities are no longer optional - they’re essential for scalable support.” With leaps in automation and AI, the technology is ready, but the organisation must be ready too.

And here’s the catch: self-service only drives value when structures and culture support it. In aligned organisations, leaders model autonomy. They trust teams to make decisions, encourage experimentation, and own outcomes. The culture promotes curiosity, continuous learning, and shared ownership. Structures reinforce this: roles are clearly defined, processes are streamlined, and governance supports accountability without micromanagement. The result is an environment where self-sufficiency is valued and supported, where people feel confident, capable, and connected, able to deliver value independently but always aligned to a common purpose.

From alignment to impact

When culture, organisational structures, and technology are aligned - and supported by a framework that turns ambition into action - change becomes not just possible, but inevitable.

At Veran, we help build this alignment using our SaaS Mindset™ methodology: a framework of six pillars designed to unlock the full potential of your HR and Finance transformation.

If your transformation feels stuck or disconnected, let’s talk about how alignment can unlock real impact.

Check our events page to join our next SaaS Mindset webinar or email contact@veranperformance.com or call 020 3858 7379 to talk to us.