I’ve never been a fan of some of the words our industry uses. But we all use them for keyword searches and for the sake of standardisation in our industry.

Expectations, or rather, the setting of them is everything.

The word “transform,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary, means “a complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone”

Now, how do you think that sits with someone, and the first few things you tell them is that they need to “transform”?

In my head, I’m thinking, I’m a Shakira, don’t go trying to change me into a Beyoncé.

It’s not the best start. It’s certainly not a great way to engage a client telling them they need to completely change everything because what they’ve worked for isn’t good enough.

My empathy has always been with the teams. Imagine hundreds of people who had no idea what was happening, signed up by management who possibly didn’t have a clue what true agility is.

And why?

Because Dave from accounting overheard his neighbour’s cat was ‘going agile’ and had even passed its CAT course. That’s Coaching Agile Transformations, mind you – with a certificate to boot.”

Change isn’t easy. Try giving up sugar, or chocolate, or even that daily sudoku you’re still hooked on when everyone else has moved on to Wordle.

So, what’s a better word? Evolution? Growth? Because companies don’t need to transform; they need to grow and evolve, or risk becoming irrelevant.

This shift also sets expectations. I bet I’m not the only one who gets asked, “When’s this transformation thing going to be over?”

Change is the only thing constant.

As someone who speaks a few languages, I understand how crucial the right words are.

Words hold power, and you never know how they’ll resonate with someone.

Try this simple shift in language and notice the difference. It’s worked for me.

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