Transformation defined. In an organisation that states it is in “transformation,” I asked several key leaders what transformation is. I got the normal off the cuff answers, and concluded no one had really thought about what transformation really is. So let’s define it.
One of my favourite business coaching experts defines it this way:
Transformation
A shift in how one observes the world. (When we observe the world differently, we can relate to it differently, see different possibilities, and choose different actions—all of which, in turn, can transform the world.) A context for being responsible for our relationship with ourselves and others, with the circumstances, and with time. A methodology by which we get “out of the box” by reinventing the “box” we are in. A romantic notion based on creating a seemingly “impossible” reality and standing for and acting as if it were real.
The Shift
Most people only see the world the way they already see it, which is how they choose to see it. Transformation defined helps us begin to see a vision of how our world can change. The shift in a transformation is to move in a new direction or place. The shift that begins a transformation changes the way we see, and vision is seeing.
Vision is a relationship with the future as a possibility in present time. Vision is not an idealized picture of the future; nor is it a “big goal” or a destination we are going toward. It is a context—a place to “come from”, a stand for a possible future. Creativity sees a new reality and acts as if were real, and then makes the ideal real by transforming nothing into something new.
A transformation requires change. Since moving from the USA where entrepreneurism and innovation abound, to Australia where preserving the status quo is favoured, I have encountered more resistance to the shift in how people see the world than anywhere else in my lifetime. Transformation is extremely difficult here because laws and culture are designed to prevent transformation. Stability is to be preferred to potential instability.
My life experience in Australia can be applied on a wider level. Living in a world anchored to the past provides a sense of security–mostly false–to those who choose that way. Conservation is to keep something constant and the same. Transformation defined at the societal level means people must let go of their conservative orientation to resist progress.
Transformation defined requires not looking to the past as the path to the future. Without a shift in the way a person observes the world, they will never see new possibilities or choose different actions. They will never reinvent the ways they relate to themselves, others, and will be stuck living in the past.
Transformation Implications
Since transformation hinges upon getting out of the box we live in, and reinventing a new box, those who resist transformation tend to prefer to see the world the same way. New ways are a threat and cause anxiety and insecurity for those who are against transformation. So, how do we bring about transformation and reinvention?
1. The alternative to surrender is resistance—we always get more of what we resist.
2. Transformation involves a shift in our way of being—from reacting to choosing. It begins with clarifying our assumptions about the world and confronting our systemic addiction to control.
3. Companies fail to reinvent themselves because they wait much too long before repairing the deteriorating bulwarks and moats of the company. Some companies simply don’t see the end coming, preferring to view slowing revenue growth as the result of a bad economy or an industry slowdown, not as a referendum on their own products or services.
4. Track the competition in your industry, renewing your capabilities, and nurturing a ready supply of talent. Even though conventional wisdom says “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” transformation requires learning to focus on fixing what doesn’t yet appear to be broken.