What Is “Transformative Change,” Really?
“Transformation” is one of the most overused words in modern business. It has become a catch-all label applied to technology programs, culture initiatives, operating model updates, reorganizations, and capability builds.
But not every change is truly transformative.
At Kairos Field, we define transformative change in three tiers, ranging from necessary tune-ups to the kind of shifts that re-write the organization’s DNA. Clarifying the “size of T” is not semantics; it determines how you plan, resource, govern, and execute the work.
The Three Tiers of “T” Change
Small “T” Transformation: The Tune-Up
This is the optimization layer. Improving how the current system runs without changing the fundamentals of how the organization operates.
What it is
Streamlining workflows
Enhancing specific tools or systems
Improving handoffs and collaboration across teams
Increasing efficiency, quality, and throughput
Typical characteristics
Contained scope and limited organizational disruption
Faster cycle time to implement
Benefits realized through adoption within existing ways of working
In short
Do what you do – just smarter, faster, better.
Medium “T” Transformation: The Revamp
This is a more fundamental redesign of how a core function or team delivers value. The work goes beyond optimization into re-architecture: roles, operating rhythms, metrics, and mindsets shift meaningfully.
What it is
Rethinking how Finance, HR, IT, Supply Chain, or Marketing operates
Shifting from transactional execution to strategic partnership
Redesigning workflows, governance, measures, and capability models
Typical characteristics
Clear changes to operating model and accountability
Greater dependency on leadership alignment and behavior change
Benefits realized only when new processes and decisions become the default
In short
Redesigning the engine of a core business unit.
“King Kong” “T” Transformation: The Big One
This is the type of change that re-writes organizational DNA. It fundamentally shifts what the company is, how it competes, and how it earns money.
What it is
Reimagining what’s possible and reshaping the future not just improving the present
Shifting the business model, operating rhythm, and culture to meet a new market reality
Establishing new capabilities and enterprise-wide ways of working to support a different direction
Typical characteristics
Multi-year horizon with significant complexity and disruption
Requires strong governance, disciplined execution, and sustained change leadership
Success depends on enterprise adoption not isolated launches
In short
A total reimagining of the business itself.
The Gap: Why Change Doesn’t Stick
Here is the most common failure pattern we see: organizations invest heavily in “change” that never truly lands because they skip the foundational steps required to embed it into the day-to-day fabric of the business.
This is where the “size of T” matters. Each tier requires different tools, different mindsets, and a different pace of execution. When organizations treat a Medium “T” like a Small “T,” they under-invest in adoption planning and operating model reinforcement. When they treat a “King Kong” transformation like a Medium “T,” they underestimate the level of disruption, governance discipline, and sustained leadership required to make the change stick.
Three Common Pitfalls That Derail Adoption
1) Clarity of Purpose
Why are we changing? What specific future are we creating?
The “why” must be clearer than the “what.” Without a crisp purpose, even well-designed solutions struggle to gain traction because teams cannot connect the effort to meaningful outcomes.
2) Leadership in Action
Alignment is not a meeting; it is modeled behavior.
Leaders must consistently do the change not simply sponsor it. Adoption tends to follow what leaders reinforce, inspect, and reward. When leadership behavior does not match the message, adoption stalls.
3) Metrics That Matter
Success must be defined upfront through measures that prove whether the change is working where it counts: in real workflows, in real moments, for end users.
Not just “the dashboard says we launched,” but:
Did the new workflow reduce errors?
Did the new system actually make teams faster?
Are people using the new process correctly without escalations and workarounds?
Transformation Is Adoption. Period.
Transformation is not a strategy deck. It is not a massive tech rollout. It is execution in motion.
Our point of view at Kairos Field is simple: the true test of transformation is adoption.
If what you are fine-tuning, redesigning, or reimagining is not embraced, used correctly, and embedded into the daily rhythm of the people it was designed for, then it is not transformation.
It is simply a very expensive project.