My kids have a list of bad words (dumb, stupid etc.). It turns out there are some adult bad words too. No not the ones you are thinking.
Change
This is, apparently, when you take something that is not that broken and tweak it. Or simply tweaking seems to count too. The word gets progressively worse the more you tweak.
For anyone intending to have changes and wrap change management around them it would be good to have the benefits and the business case rock solid tight before venturing into the change process. With that diligent pre work you can substitute the synonym, enhancements.
Transformation
Like the transformer toys that take the same Latin root this signifies to tired stakeholders the process of turning something that has form and function into something else. I have watched those toys switch forms myself and wondered how hard it is to switch them back?
Transformation has a secondary meaning to stakeholders- tons of change (see previous bad word).
Best bet with this kind of huge change. Place less emphasis on the transmutation of the current organization and more emphasis on a new future state that might include a few pieces from the past.
Change Management
I wish I was kidding.
This comes from the “you can’t manage change, only people perspective”.
It helps here to show that change is a process of people and business. The management piece is illustrating and guiding that process and blend.
While my kids will not let me use dumb and stupid I realize they are words that work in certain, adult, situations. The same can be said for Change, Transformation and Change Management- it has a lot to do with planning, communication and delivery.
