Scalable Change

Defining Change

There are many variations defining change. Change definitions are reliant on the context in which change is explained. A distinction can be made between changes as institutional, organisational, team and individual phenomena. In most instance change is a modification to an entity’s environmental, situational, physical or mental condition, which results in circumstances that challenge existing paradigms. Furthermore, it can be reasoned that change is not a linear process and that it calls for a renewed definition to describe Change. Yet, traditionally most change management processes transpire along a linear path and VNI follows an enriched perspective on change that revitalises change efforts and insists on effective change efforts dependence on well-executed change management practices.

Change management, in contrast to “change”, is defined by some as the systematic approach to dealing with change both from an individual’s and an organisational point of view. Deliberating on “change management” it can become a bewildering semantic excursion, since change management can be thought of as a process, a system, a business speciality, and/or a body of knowledge.

Change & Transformation

The differentiation between the concepts of change and transformation is also imminent. During change occurrences new probable outcomes come about, whilst engaging in transformation, new possibilities materialise as a result, which is significant as these are unintended outcomes. In contrast, change to the alter ego is not possible; however, when the transformation occurs the viewpoint of the individual (hyperlink to individual transformation) changes dramatically.

VNI envisages that when change is constant and evolutionary, the organism transforms because the change is internal to the organism. Therefore, the transformation is about modifying understandings so that individuals’ everyday behaviours accomplish the anticipated results. In the event where change is viewed as a constant and responsive, the change obligation is driven externally from the organism, and the organism adjusts as long as the perceived pressure to change, is upheld. In this instance, change is about using external influences to modify behaviour, to achieve anticipated results.

Although neither concept appears to be more appropriate than what the other is, the peculiarity is important in the context of change. In this regard, VNI aligns with a point of departure (an initial assumption) as follows:

Change is evolutionary, ongoing, personal and transformational.

The concept that change is evolutionary, ongoing, personal and transformational, acts as clarification of the relevance of the terms transformation and change. In this context then, change and change management are approached as an integrated and reciprocal occurrence being the inclination of people in response to a changing environment vis-à-vis changing people to adapt to a change in the environment, which provides the foundation for BluAgile Transformation.