So, what even is “winning” in GBS, anyway?
People throw around “success” like it’s this measurable, shiny endpoint. But honestly, GBS isn’t something you “finish.” It’s like running a marathon that someone keeps adding miles to. Every time you think you’re close, boom—new challenges. But hey, let’s talk about what actually moves the needle and what keeps you from face-planting halfway.
Start with a Why, Not Just a What
Okay, picture this: your leadership team is sitting around, hyped up about GBS. Someone says, “It’ll save money!” Someone else goes, “Streamline operations!” Great, right? Except… what does that even mean? Because saving money and streamlining are outcomes, not reasons.
Your “why” has to be laser-focused. Is this about scaling faster into new markets? Maybe your local teams are bogged down in repetitive tasks, and you want them focused on strategy instead. Or are you trying to standardize because every region is running rogue processes, and compliance is a nightmare?
Now, here’s where it gets tricky: your why has to resonate beyond the C-suite. Let’s say you’re rolling this out in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Guess what? They’re all going to have different priorities. Finance in Europe might care about regulatory reporting, while Asia wants faster vendor payments. If your why doesn’t connect with their reality, you’re sunk.
Take time to define this clearly—and keep hammering it home. Put it in emails, town halls, dashboards, whatever it takes. People forget. And when they forget, they resist.
Talent is King—But Not the Way You Think
Here’s the deal: everyone talks about “getting the best people.” Sure, great talent matters. But let’s get real—talent without influence is useless.
Let me tell you about this one GBS I saw crash and burn. The company brought in a GBS leader with an incredible résumé. Top-tier experience. But guess what? They reported to a mid-level VP who didn’t even sit on the steering committee. Every decision needed sign-off from three layers of bureaucracy. By the time they got approvals, the business had already moved on.
So, ask yourself: who has the power to make this work? If your GBS leader doesn’t have a seat at the table—or at least direct access to those who do—they’re just a figurehead. And honestly? That’s a waste of everyone’s time.
Oh, and don’t forget about your operational teams. They’re the backbone of GBS, yet they’re often the most overlooked. Are they being trained to adapt? Are they involved early enough to feel ownership? Or are they just being handed a playbook and told, “Good luck”?
Bottom line: talent isn’t just about hiring stars. It’s about putting the right people in the right positions with the right level of influence.
Tech is Amazing. Until It’s Not.
Ah, technology. The shiny object everyone loves to chase. AI! RPA! Blockchain! (Okay, maybe not blockchain anymore, but you get the idea.) Companies fall into this trap of thinking tech is the silver bullet. Spoiler: it’s not.
Let me paint you a picture. This company—big name, global reach—invested millions in an end-to-end automation platform. Sounds impressive, right? Except they forgot one tiny detail: their processes were a dumpster fire. They had vendors sending invoices by fax (yes, really), approvals scattered across five tools, and a dozen different naming conventions for the same thing. So, what did the tech do? It just sped up their chaos.
Here’s what they should’ve done:
- Map out their processes. Not just the “happy path,” but the messy reality of how work actually happens.
- Clean up the junk. Standardize where it makes sense, streamline what’s broken.
- THEN bring in the tech. And only the tech that solves specific problems.
Tech isn’t the star of the show; it’s the supporting actor. And sometimes, less is more.
Governance: The Thing Everyone Ignores Until It’s Too Late
Governance. The word alone makes people groan. It’s boring. It feels like paperwork. But without it, your GBS is basically a free-for-all.
Let’s break it down. Imagine you’re running a GBS center that handles HR, finance, and IT services. HR wants to overhaul onboarding. Finance is screaming about late closings. IT has some compliance fire drill. Who gets priority?
Without governance, you end up in endless arguments—or worse, you just do whatever the loudest person demands. Neither is sustainable.
A good governance model answers three key questions:
- Who makes decisions? Is it the GBS leader? A cross-functional steering committee? A coin flip?
- How are conflicts resolved? If priorities clash, who decides? And based on what criteria?
- How do you keep things transparent? Everyone should know what’s being worked on and why.
This isn’t about creating a bureaucratic monster. It’s about giving your GBS a framework to operate smoothly, especially when things get messy.
Oh, and Culture. Can’t Forget Culture.
Okay, let’s get real about culture. People like to say “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” But in GBS? Culture eats strategy, lunch, dinner, and your midnight snack.
Here’s why: GBS is disruptive. It’s not just about changing processes; it’s about changing mindsets. And people hate that. They don’t like losing control. They don’t like sharing services. And they definitely don’t like being told their way isn’t the best way.
Take this one company I worked with. They had a stellar GBS model on paper. But the business units wouldn’t use it. Why? Because they felt like GBS was forced on them. No one asked for their input. No one explained the benefits. So, they just… ignored it. Kept doing things the old way.
What worked? Two things:
- Overcommunication. They held workshops, Q&A sessions, roadshows—whatever it took to get people on board.
- Quick wins. Instead of rolling out everything at once, they picked one area (vendor payments), crushed it, and used that success to build momentum.
Culture isn’t a “soft” thing. It’s the hardest thing. But if you get it right, the rest becomes so much easier.
It’s Never Really “Done”
You know that feeling when you finally finish a big project? Yeah, forget about that. GBS doesn’t work that way. It’s not a destination; it’s a moving target.
Why? Because the business keeps changing. Today, you’re focused on cost efficiency. Tomorrow, it’s scalability. Next year, who knows? Maybe you’re building a GBS model for AI-driven decision-making.
The trick is to stay flexible. Build for change. Use scalable tools, adaptable workflows, and—this is key—a mindset that says, “We’re never done learning.”
Oh, and don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go perfectly. GBS is a journey. There’s no finish line, just milestones. Celebrate them when you hit them.
Celebrate the Journey
One last thought: don’t wait for perfection to pat yourself on the back. GBS is hard. And thankless. No one outside your team is going to understand what it took to reduce processing times by 30% or improve SLAs across regions.
So, celebrate the small stuff. Seriously. It’s not just about morale—it’s about reminding your team (and yourself) that progress matters, even if the work is never really “done.”
