The Toxic Trends in Transformation—and an Emerging Challenge

These are The Toxic Trends that Puts Transformation At Risk

The field of transformation is evolving rapidly, but not all changes are positive. Over the last year, I’ve observed troubling trends that are diluting the true meaning of transformation. If left unchecked, these trends could undermine the very practice that helps organizations, teams, and leaders achieve lasting impact.

Here’s a closer look at the three toxic trends gaining momentum—plus a fourth emerging challenge that transformation leaders must navigate in 2024.

1️⃣ Transformation in Name Only

One of the most alarming trends is leaders assuming transformation roles—or calling themselves transformation experts - And worst, offering to teach transformation to other emerging transformation leaders—without having the depth of experience required.

This trend looks like:

 Professionals with experience in one or two disciplines (e.g., project delivery or change management) positioning themselves as transformation leaders.

• A fragmented approach to transformation, focusing on narrow deliverables rather than integrated, systemic change.
• Overpromising and underdelivering, damaging the credibility of transformation efforts. 

Why this matters:

❌ Without true end-to-end transformation experience, efforts lack cohesion, fail to meet organizational needs, and erode trust in the process.

✅ The fix: Leaders must prioritize building and hiring transformation talent with the breadth and depth of experience to navigate complexity and deliver meaningful results.

2️⃣ The Overuse—and Misuse—of Transformation Terminology

The term "transformation" has become a buzzword, overused by professionals and organizations who have done parts of transformation work or been involved in specific projects. This trend dilutes the true value of transformation and creates confusion about its purpose.

Instead of improving the practice and challenging the status quo, some professionals are: 

• Putting transformation into a box, labeling it as "limiting" or "stale."
• Pivoting to new buzzwords like "business invention," positioning it as a more innovative alternative. 

Here’s the reality:

🚫 Transformation, when done right, is reinvention. If you’re not fundamentally reshaping systems, culture, and outcomes, you’re not doing transformation.

🚫 It’s easier to avoid fixing the challenges in transformation practice by creating a new niche, but that doesn’t solve the deeper problems.

✅ The fix: Transformation leaders must focus on redefining and improving the practice, ensuring it remains relevant, impactful, and future-fit. Reinvention within transformation is not optional—it’s essential. Moreover, let's not follow the shiny objects and flashy mottos that promse the world and deliver pennies.

3️⃣ Change is Transformation, and Transformation is Change

This trend is more subtle but equally damaging, particularly in training and technical circles of change. It assumes that change management and transformation are interchangeable concepts.

Here’s the problem:

🚫 Change is a subset of transformation, not its entirety. While change focuses on adopting specific initiatives, transformation encompasses a broader, systemic shift that redefines the organization.

🚫 By equating change with transformation, the complexity, depth, and impact of true transformation are lost.

✅ The fix: Transformation leaders must distinguish between these concepts, ensuring that change practices serve as a capability within the larger transformation journey rather than being conflated with it.

4️⃣ The Dilution of Transformation Into Continuous Improvement

This emerging challenge may pose the greatest risk to transformation’s integrity. While the vision, objectives, and intent of transformation may start with reinvention, the delivery often gets diluted under the pressure to “get things done.”

This looks like: 

• Transformation efforts reduced to improving existing processes, even when those processes are already known to be ineffective.
• A laundry list of continuous improvements, fixes, and short-term solutions that add complexity without solving root problems.
• Delivery that feels like "more of the same," failing to meet the transformational intent. 

Why this matters:

❌ True transformation is about reshaping systems, not adding to them. When transformation is diluted, it creates noise without impact, leaving organizations with more “stuff” rather than meaningful change.

✅ The fix: Transformation leaders must hold delivery teams accountable to the original transformational vision, ensuring that execution aligns with intent and delivers the promised reinvention.