What is your reaction nowadays when you read the word transformation? If it’s visceral and you think about org charts instead of caterpillars and butterflies you are probably not alone. I’ve come across many people lately who have mixed associations with this concept. It takes quite a bit of energy on my part to reframe my state of mind when I read the big ol’ T-Word for the 10,000th time in my career. On one of my trail runs I took some time to reflect on why the hell that irritated me so much and where was the gift of knowledge in the irritation and share here what came out.

There is hope in the face of cynicism here. Ultimately we all want to leave this world a better place for others than when we left it for our fellow humans and cynicism has no place in that. And that is the key word – humanity. Here’s a fresh perspective and some hope from my work with clients – to some spark for reflection and a fiery discussion hopefully.

To illustrate this point why the distinction is so important, at this venture I will (albeit somewhat cliche) introduce the perfunctory definitions:

Definition of evolution:

The process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

the gradual development of something

Definition of transformation:

a marked change in form, nature, or appearance.

a process by which one figure, expression, or function is converted into another one of similar value.

Why is this so important, aka why should I care?

Before reading further here a sample of coaching, maybe some delicious food for thought with people you trust:

What comes up for you when you read transformation, a marked change and something of similar value?

What comes up for you when you read evolution, gradual development & living organisms?

Knowing what’s important to you in your life, which perspective do YOU choose?

You can even take those questions to your team if you are currently experiencing a business transformation.

Here are my answers to those questions:

Transformation: lots of change & outcome generates similar values – we go through a lot of change for what benefit? No THANK YOU. In addition to coaching I’ve always loved math and the personal ROI on that MAKES NO SENSE. We can do better than that.
Evolution: gradual development, living organisms, human approach – I think of monkeys to humans & majestic Galapagos creatures – REAL LIFE evolving to be MORE ADAPTABLE to a changing environment than what was previously possible. We become STRONGER than we were before.
What perspective do I choose? Evolution. Every. Single. Time.
First and Foremost: it’s simply a more human approach to change. It’s the people that bring intention and goals into reality.
My Why: My top values are health/wellbeing/balance, connection, growth/curiosity, courage. Being in the human health business for many years & experiencing a lot of change has solidified my sense of purpose in creating healthy environments for human beings.
My Clients’ why: The more I’ve worked with clients on the human aspects of their change under their iceberg (mindset, beliefs, values, feelings, fears, dreams, needs), the more effective and sustainable the visible change and learning was…. sustained levels of engagement, more fulfillment in different positions, more balance in work life AND surpassing (not just meeting) business goals (growth, launch, YOU NAME IT) in a constantly changing environment.

The key is – do the deep work over a sustained period of time – even when things need to go fast. To make time has a lot to do with perception. Even Formula 1 Race drivers make pit stops with their teams to ensure they can keep going to reach their destination. Involve people in their abundance of resourcefulness & garner commitment – so they buy not rent.

It’s estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. Let that sink in. Whether you are going through company and/or personal change – the good news is every day, every moment, we have a new opportunity to know what’s under our iceberg and make a conscious choice forward towards something better. We have the power to choose.

What do you choose? What’s under your iceberg?