Plain Jane change builds on existing skills, work practices and behavioral norms.  It involves going from A to B to C.  Transformational change is different – it goes from A to C without stopping at B.  It’s disruptive and creates ambiguity, confusion and turmoil. 

Here is the test:  Simple change is something you can manage, and you might have to tell your boss.  If it is transformational change, your boss’s boss is involved.    Transformational change stretches beyond the boundaries of what you and your boss can manage and control.  It is transformational change when:

• A CEO has to tell not only the Board of Directors, but set expectations with the shareholders as well.
• A group reorganizes / changes business processes / implements new systems that impact not only the group’s members, but creates significant disruption in other groups as well.
• The way forward has myriad obstacles to success.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 8:03 pm and is filed under Change Management.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.