Why Important Transformation Projects Feel Hard (And Why That’s a Good Sign)
Important transformation projects feel hard for a reason.
I had a flashback recently while working on a project that was fun, important… and genuinely difficult. I found myself thinking: why is this so hard?
It took me back to a project I was fortunate to be involved with run by CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium) years ago on legal project management standards.
A key concept from those LPM standards flashed back at me... Matter Complexity.
Sometimes a project feels hard not because you are doing it 'badly'. It feels hard because it is very (very!) complex.
A key concept from those LPM standards flashed back at me... Matter Complexity.
multiple parties
multiple jurisdictions
government or regulatory overlays
specialist legal issues
technical or systems dependencies
third-party experts needing to be involved
the fact that the team is doing something new for the first time
I was looking at my project and thinking:
🔸Yep, there are lots of parties.
🔸Yep, there are multiple moving parts.
🔸Yep, there are around 16 jurisdictions involved.
🔸Yep, there are government-related requirements.
🔸Yep, we need specialist expertise in areas like privacy, arbitration and dispute resolution.
🔸Yep, there are systems and process challenges too.
So of course it feels hard.... it's complex. Even on the complexity scale... It’s complex.
I think this is such an important idea for legal teams, contract professionals and transformation leads to remember, because it also helps you explain the challenge to others.
Sometimes you need to be able to say:
🔸This is not a simple matter.
🔸This is why it needs time.
🔸This is why it needs budget.
🔸This is why it needs the right people involved.
🔸That is not overcomplicating things.
🔸That is accurately describing reality of transformation work.
So if you are in the middle of a project that feels heavier than expected, it's probably a genuinely complex matter.
And that probably means the work is important.
The goal is not to pretend complex work is easy or "should" be easy. I think the goal is to acknowledge the complexity and give yourself a little high five for doing important work.
Then, start fresh with a new mindset, help if you need it (or reduce the complexity!) and work forward with clear eyes and the right support.
And how great is it that organisations like CLOC have helped us to unpack and frame concepts like this?!
Resources:
Here is the link to details on the CLOC (Corporate Legal Operations Consortium) LPM Standards project I mention in the video:
https://community.cloc.org/viewdocument/legal-project-management-lpm-for-l
Want some extra help?
If you want to chat about help with your contract reviews, reach out for a free no obligation chat with a friendly Checklist Legal lawyer today.
