Heraclitus said that change is the only constant in life. We believe change is certainly the core of humans as a species. Our world is constantly evolving and innovating. Companies that have success innovating their processes are usually the ones that can handle business effectively. The lack of change and transformation in an organization will most likely translate into losses and an inability to accomplish goals. But what are change and transformation?
Although they can be considered synonyms, they have different meanings. Change within organizations is characterized by an evaluation of the past and its comparison to the present. Then setting a direction for the future state of the organization. Transformation, on the other hand, consists in reformulating the current state of the organization. Change and transformation are both important in their own unique way. So, let's define and tell them apart. Shall we?
Is a process that alters things to make them better and more efficient. This can include price or time reduction. Change demands for past situations to be assessed and compared to the present in order to plan a future outcome or outlook. It is fundamental that the future outlook is better and more efficient than the past situation. These processes can happen in different stages and step by step or can be sudden and complex.
The results and returns from this process can be measured immediately and are tangible. However, these results do not imply a different version, only an improved version of the organization, the team or the process that went through the change. Picture how water changes its state from liquid to solid or gas. The past is always present when measuring the results of this change.
On the other hand, transformation is a process that assesses the situation in which the organization is at the moment and projects a future outcome. This future situation is completely different from the present one. The future situation is projected and then strategies and activities are done in order to achieve the goal. It is important to highlight that transformation is not a once and for all process. Transformation is a progressive and evolutive process that requires a lot of planning.
It must be driven by stages and these stages can change depending on the results of the previous ones or on how the expectations may have changed. Transformation needs to evaluate every aspect of the organization that may affect the process and it requires a modification of beliefs and values within. It does not improve a system or a better way to do things. It creates a system that is different and better. Its return and results can be intangible and unmeasurable for a long time.
Today's post is shorter than usual because it is a topic we will be addressing in the future.
However, the conclusion I want to leave you with until our next post is: Does your organization/team/process need to change? Or does it need to transform? What would be the best option considering your business' characteristics, needs, and budget? What are your expectations? Are you looking to be a better version of what you were or are you looking to be a better and different version of yourself? Do you want to fix things? Do you want to change things?
In a future post, we will be talking about the importance of Change and Transformation for the Aquaculture industry. Stay tuned.
