Why Organizations Are Avoiding the Word ‘Transformation’

📢The Word "Transformation" Is Under Attack—But Is It Really the Problem?

Transformation has a reputation problem. Some organizations avoid using the word because too many transformations have failed—or at least failed to meet expectations.

But let’s be clear: failure isn’t binary.

It’s not just "success" or "failure"; it’s a spectrum. Some transformations partially succeed. Some stall. Some get dismantled before they have a chance to deliver.

And yet, instead of learning from what really happened, the instinct is to avoid the word altogether, rebrand the effort, or quietly sweep it under the rug.

🚨Before you label a transformation as a failure, ask yourself this:

🔹Was it ever set up for success in the first place?

🔹Was it crystal clear what the transformation was aiming to achieve—both now, short-term, and long-term?

🔹Was there a high-quality cadence to discuss, review, and make timely decisions to support the transformation?

🔹Did you have the right talent in place—quality and numbers?

🔹Did business leaders have the capacity, time, and energy to collaborate with the transformation team?

🔹Was the transformation too big or a catch for "fixing" everything the organizations needed to do?

🔹Are there strong undercurrents that will jeopardise the transformation that the collective leadership team does not address, i.e., Culture? Mindsets? Low Psychological safety ...etc.? Is it the expectation that the transformation will solely address and fix those, too?

If the answer is ‘no’ to some (or most) of these questions, the problem isn’t transformation—it’s how it was approached.

🔍Are You Truly Setting Up Your Transformation for Success?

This is a question for change sponsors—in many cases, the CEO or a C-level executive leading the charge.

👉Have you provided clarity on the real objectives of the transformation?

👉 Have you protected the time and space needed for key decision-makers to engage?

👉 Have you built in the right mechanisms to ensure the transformation is actively shaped and supported, not just monitored?

Too often, transformation programs struggle—not because the idea was flawed, but because they were never truly positioned to succeed.

And what’s happening now? Many organizations, burned by past experiences, are choosing to avoid calling something a transformation altogether.

❌But not calling something what it is doesn’t change reality.

A transformation is still a transformation—even if you call it something else. And when organizations rebrand transformation instead of addressing why it didn’t work, they set the wrong expectations, leading to yet another cycle of disappointment.

💡What’s Really to Blame?

It’s easy to point fingers at transformation teams when things don’t go as planned. But let’s be clear:

💡Transformation is a whole-of-organization effort.

Any weak link—whether it’s leadership commitment, culture resistance, misaligned incentives, or lack of execution—can take it down.

It’s like going to the gym. If you don’t lose weight or feel better, do you blame the concept of fitness? Do you say, "I had a bad experience at the gym, so let’s rename it to something else"? No.

You look at:

✔️What didn’t work

✔️What extra support you need

✔️Whether a different approach is required

✔️If you were truly ready for the process

The same applies to transformation. Instead of abandoning the term, organizations should be asking:

➡️Where did we go wrong?

➡️What gaps need to be addressed?

➡️Are we truly committed to making this work?

🚨What’s Not Helping? Trendy Rebrands

Lately, transformation consultancies have been following the trend of avoiding the word transformation, replacing it with evolution, reinvention, and innovation.

🔹But you don’t evolve before you transform.

🔹 You don’t reinvent before you’re ready to evolve.

🔹 You don’t innovate your way out of foundational work.

❗Transformation is the bridge.

It’s how you get ready for what’s next —whether that’s evolution, reinvention, or beyond.

🚀If It’s Important, You Don’t Abandon It—You Make It Work

If something doesn’t work, but it’s critical to your organization’s future, you don’t throw it away—you figure out how to make it work.

BUT… here’s the key:

👉Don’t ask for transformation if you’re not truly willing to change.

👉Don’t ask for transformation if you only want to change on your own terms.

If that’s the case, don’t call it transformation—just run a series of continuous improvement projects (which are valuable but not enough to get you to the next level).

But if you truly want transformation—the kind that positions your organization for the future—then it’s time to do it right, not avoid it altogether.

🔹Instead of rebranding it, let’s do it right.

🔹Instead of blaming the word, let’s own the process.

🔹Instead of finding new buzzwords, let’s build transformations that actually deliver.

What’s your take? Have you seen organizations shy away from calling things a transformation?

Please reply and let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

#TransformationLeadership #CareerGrowth #ChangeLeadership #FutureFit #LeadershipImpact

Till next week

Jess Tayel

Founder of the Transformation Leadership Institute and People of Transformation membership & community.

Enable Organizations to Become Future Fit Through their Transformations & Change efforts.

Elevate Change & Transformation high-performing leaders to soar above the sea of sameness and achieve new heights in mastery, influence, & impact without the drag of going solo or slow progression.