As we all know, business is filled with buzzwords and clichés. The most unfortunate part is that the practice either erodes the meaning of the actual words from their intended purpose or misleads a listener about what is actually happening. The thinking I want you to do today is around a fairly straightforward pair of terms that are viewed as “synonymous” by most leaders – evolution vs. transformation, but really are quite different…and create much different inferences by an audience.
To understand this at a basic level, we’ll use science as a guide. Evolution in science is a gradual accumulation of changes over a lengthy period time rendering the subject significantly different at the end of the process from it’s origin, typically many many many generations in the past. Many of the changes are minor from one generation to the next often with each mutation leading to the next. Gene flow between similar species and gene drift within species can aid the evolution process and create further mutations. Natural selection typically decides which of the mutations regardless of source survive and which perish.
Most of us who still trust science understand that our current form (homo sapien) have evolved through millions of years, through many different stages/mutations/gene flows and drifts from our earliest versions (dryopithecus). That same genetic tree created both apes and humans through the mutation and genetic processes. Our more lineal family within our overall evolution was the Hominin family which has seen great change over the past say 4-6 million years to get us where we are today. There have been many iterations of “us”, using the term broadly to get where we are, with each building on the prior version.
Contrast that with transformation in science – transformation is typically marked by an abrupt and comprehensive change over a shorter period of time. The changes are not made over generations, but within a single generation. They are typically not subtle but significant and overt. While they aren’t the opposite of evolution, they are on such wildly different timelines (multi, multi generational vs. intergenerational) that they are not comparable scientifically.
One of the more common transformations that we are all familiar with is the metamorphosis a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly. The science is fascinating, but not quite as relevant here. Basically a being starts as one thing (a larva which is similar to a legged worm crawling and eating leaves) and within a few days becomes something completely different (the butterfly – a flying insect that only feeds on nectar). Literally within it’s lifetime, the being is 2 completely different things – it’s the natural version of a Transformer (minus the tech, the ability to change back and forth, and the many less than stellar sequels).
So science is interesting and all but what does this have to do with you, you ask? Well, I think anyone reading this has been through an organizational “transformation” as sold to you by a leader. I have no doubt that a few of them really were exactly that, but the majority of you went through an evolution. Ill clarify my thinking on why it matters – but it boils down to a key fact that we often like to ignore: Words Matter.
In the business context, evolution is something will happen with many changes (often smaller – and each change building on the last) over a medium time horizon moving an organization from A to B (or C or Z). Organizational transformation is a large, complete resetting of the organization in a very short time window moving the organization from A to 3 (think of the caterpillar/butterfly).
The main reason the words matter so much isn’t about you as the change agent trying to move the organization forward (in either case – evolution or transformation). It’s about the people in the organization who came before you and who have been there far longer than you. The implication of a transformation is that the organizational “being” that existed prior isn’t the being that the organization has to be going forward. It’s completely different (and thought of as inadequate or you wouldn’t be changing – a caterpillar isn’t nearly as desirable as a butterfly to most). The subtext can often be inferred that all the work, effort, time, energy, etc. were not good enough for the new leader – or may have just been completely wrong. And sometimes, that is the case.
More likely though, as a leader, you are trying to evolve the organization from where it is to somewhere advanced (like moving from cromagnon to homo sapien). Following the analogy, the organization can walk upright and hunt/gather, but it may not be able to form language or society just yet – and that’s the goal. You aren’t burning down what has been done prior – you are building on that progress and adding more. You likely aren’t proposing it happens overnight either – you likely have plans that last weeks and months to propel you forward, with the plans building through phases. That, my friends, is evolution much more than transformation.
And when you frame it as much your audience will notice. You are respecting their time, energy, and effort to get where the org is today. You are giving them a sense of continuity by reinforcing what will be the same going forward before moving into what will be new (a great change management technique). You are showing the confidence to say “I don’t have all the answers at once and I am not the only person whose ever understood the problem” but instead saying “you all have made progress solving the problem and together we’ll go even farther”.
So, as you embark on your next leadership role, big project, etc. be thoughtful in what you label it. Be clear on how substantial the change is and your time horizon for change. Be mindful of the journey that came before your involvement.
Most importantly, remember that your words matter for a very specific reason: the words matters to the people around you that you will be relying on during the journey. How you frame the whole endeavor will absolutely impact their engagement with you – on the project and as a human.
View from the Middle 