Q&A with Jenn Solcz, PPG Vice President, Protective and Marine Coatings USCA

Published 15 October 2024

Leading Through Organizational Change: Embracing a "Fail Forward" Mindset

As companies navigate strategic shifts and transformations, leaders must cultivate a culture that embraces calculated risk-taking and learning from setbacks. Jenn Solcz shares insights on fostering trust, empowering teams, and driving progress through periods of uncertainty. By shifting away from a perfection-driven mindset and empowering employees to "fail forward," organizations can unlock innovation and agility, which are essential for long-term success.

This year marks a significant shift for all businesses as they apply lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to new operational strategies. Across industries, companies transform, with agile and adaptable leadership being more crucial than ever. Businesses reinvent their operations and culture to focus on long-term growth, employee well-being and better customer service. Whether leaders navigate a strategic shift, respond to disruptive market forces or undergo a major restructuring, they will need the agility and foresight to guide their organizations through periods of uncertainty. What lies at the heart of this challenge? The need to drive progress and innovation balanced against the desire for control. Too often, a risk-averse culture can stifle the qualities required for long-term success, such as calculated risk-taking, experimentation and the willingness to learn from setbacks.

Read more from Jenn Solcz, PPG Vice President, Protective and Marine Coatings for the U.S. and Canada region. She has firsthand experience navigating this balance. Solcz has emerged as a change management leader to champion a "fail forward" mindset that reshapes the innovation and growth approach and better serves customers. In this Coatings World Q&A, she shares her insights on fostering trust, empowering teams and driving progress through periods of uncertainty.

CW:  As companies face increasing pressure to adapt and transform, what are the key leadership qualities needed to navigate periods of uncertainty?

Solcz: One critical leadership quality remains the ability to foster a culture of trust. When employees feel empowered to take calculated risks and learn from setbacks, it unlocks innovation and agility, which are essential for long-term success. Leaders need to embrace the "fail forward" concept—being comfortable using failures as opportunities to learn and improve.

CW: How can leaders empower their teams to embrace change and drive progress during organizational transformations?

Solcz: Successful change management leaders set the tone and model the behaviors they want to see from their teams. This includes being transparent about the reasons for change, involving employees in the process, and celebrating small wins. These leaders often encourage a growth mindset, where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities rather than failures. Organizations can stay nimble and responsive to evolving market demands and customer needs by empowering teams to experiment, take risks and iterate.

CW: What are some practical strategies leaders can implement to break down silos and promote cross-functional collaboration during times of change?

Solcz: Facilitate team-building exercises that help employees understand each other's strengths, roles and responsibilities. These activities can involve puzzle-solving or simulation-based workshops that require cross-functional collaboration.

Leaders should also consider clear communication of goals, priorities and decision-making processes to minimize confusion and build trust. Encouraging a culture of feedback and continuous improvement can also help break down barriers and foster a more cohesive, adaptable organization.

CW:  How can leaders balance agility and innovation?

Solcz: This is a common challenge, particularly in industries historically valuing stability and control over rapid change. This means being comfortable launching initiatives or solutions that are 80% ready rather than waiting for everything to be 100% tested and proven. Successful change management leaders empower teams to experiment, gather feedback and iterate quickly. By embracing a "fail forward" mindset and empowering teams to take calculated risks, leaders position their organizations to be more responsive, innovative and better equipped to anticipate and meet their customers' evolving needs.

Originally published in Coatings World.