The Paradox of Transformation

Organisational transformation has become a ubiquitous term in the lexicon of business, often employed to signify profound and positive change. It suggests a fundamental shift in an organisation's structure, processes, or culture, with the ambition of achieving a significantly improved future state.

Technically, Transformation means to go from one thing to another vs a more fitting term such as “Metamorphosis”, which means to transform from one thing, into something greater.

While the intent behind using transformation as a term is typically to inspire and convey the magnitude of intended improvements, the label of "transformation" can inadvertently create negative perceptions and practical challenges that ultimately impede the effective implementation of positive changes.

Some organisations make matters worse by departmentalising change projects into a ‘transformation’ arm, extenuating the separation and disconnection of org change initiatives from the broader workplace which makes change even harder. Change should be in amongst the masses in order to be a successful function and cultural trait of any organisation.

Therefore, more careful consideration of the language used in change management is crucial, as it profoundly influences employee engagement, buy-in, and the overall success of organisational change initiatives. The very scale implied by "transformation" might establish elevated expectations, potentially leading to disappointment if the actual change does not align with this grand vision. This discrepancy can frame the initiative negatively from its inception.

Transformation is set up to fail, before it even begins. So we’re not surprised that over 70% of organisational change efforts do not succeed.

Let’s instead use the more appropriate labels like, metamorphosis and modifications, which put change in a positive and high-functioning mood to begin with.