Breaking the spell: a call for T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N

Recently I read about the notion that, through the constructs that we create with words, spells are set in motion. The idea that we cast spells through language and words. This concept rang very true. Words have great power to influence the collective imaginary and to cause us to walk through life in a zombie-like state of acceptance that if it is written, or spoken, or proclaimed: it must be true. That is the power of narrative and its influence on our imagination, our culture and our identities.

We cast spells through our words, influencing the collective imaginary through stories we craft.

These days I seem to be driven by a powerful desire -which many of us have- to help change the narrative. We must dispel the rusty old belief systems that are so ubiquitous in our societies: the concepts that we have inherited from an industrial and even from a digital age. Dispelling these limiting beliefs, conditions and definitions will create the room for creativity and transformation that really addresses the core of the matter.

Creative Destruction

A few years ago, in a corporate setting, I offered the idea that creative destruction is a propelling force for continuous ingenuity. The kind that keeps systems alive and allows us to reinvent ourselves constantly, as we adapt to the world. No one in the meeting had heard of the concept and it was laughed off as totally irrelevant. In hindsight, I wonder why I even expected it to be otherwise. Corporates are known for loving to keep things just as they are, especially the higher up in the hierarchy you go.

Creative destruction is critical to the vitality of any system.

Like in the natural world, creative destruction is critical to the vitality of any system. It is the core of how systems adapt, by replacing outdated forms, practices and beliefs by new ones, that make the systems themselves more adaptable, more resilient and more relevant. The concept of creative destruction is not new, it was coined by Joseph Schumpeter and you can read more about it in the wikipedia entry.

Being deliberate in breaking the spell

Any system or organisation can become entranced to the rhythm of inertia and business-as-usual. But once we see how creative destruction can be a force for good, by clearing space for new creative initiatives and continuous reinvention: we can also be deliberate in building it into the system. Author Jerry Hirshberg gave this the name "creative abrasion". The idea that a bit of friction can really help keep the creative fires of any organization burning. In his book "The Creative Priority: Driving Innovative Business in the Real World" he elaborates on how we can make businesses more creative by (organisational & systemic) design. And while this need is driven by his own experience, it applies to many teams and organizational cultures. It happens almost everywhere.

As I was reading people's reactions to Hirshberg's book I came across this quote attributed to John C. Maxwell which the need for creative abrasion succinctly:"Jerry Hirshberg, in his book The Creative Priority, writes: No one in a corporation deliberately sets out to stifle creative thought. Yet, a traditional bureaucratic structure, with its need for predictability, linear logic, conformance to accepted norms, and the dictates of the most recent 'long-range' vision statement, is a nearly perfect idea-killing machine. People in groups regress toward the security of the familiar and the well-regulated. Even creative people do it. It’s easier. It avoids the ambiguity, the fear of unpredictability, the threat of the unfamiliar, and the messiness of intuition and human emotion."

Creative abrasion builds friction into the organization, and can really help to keep the creative fires burning.

More daringly, Adi Mazor Kario published an article recently titled Your Corporate Powers Might Kill You. In it she pointed out: "In many cases, companies commit suicide. The company's strengths in their core business, the competencies that make them so powerful and profitable today are the same capabilities that will kill them in the future." In it she quotes a McKinsey study from 2017, in which they showed that the average lifespan of companies listed in Standard & Poor's 500 was 61 years in 1958. Whereas nowadays, it's down to less than 18 years. Furthermore, McKinsey has predicted that by 2027, 75% of the companies currently quoted on the S&P 500 will have disappeared. 

As stated earlier, this is not only a corporate problem (although admittedly they seem to be in a bit of trouble based on the figures McKinsey presents). Corporations are made of people. And for most people "change" is not part of the default settings. That's why we need to design for it.

Engaging creatively, not reactively

Of course it all starts with awareness: facing up to the fact that all of us to some degree look for stability and sticking to the plan. Radical honesty with each other and with our organisations. The inevitability of change of course, sooner or later is bound to give us a nudge in new directions or even a loud wake up call in some cases.

The way I see it, we need curiosity, imagination and a clear intent to continuously and purposefully check in with ourselves to dispel the inertial clouds that make us lose sight of our ambitions and purpose. Being non-conformist, authentic and nimble to navigate the choppy waters of business towards positive impact.

It ultimately is about re-shuffling the letters of "reactive" to make them spell "creative". Yes, it's all in the spelling. Pun intended!

Can we dare each other to engage creatively and not reactively so that we look for root-causes instead of fighting symptoms? To change through profound transformation, that will allow us to create new ways of being and doing instead of just patching-up old habits by dressing them in new clothes?

In this way, perhaps we might be able to effectuate change that is more relevant, longer lasting, and better from everyone. Because through creativity and imagination we really can step-change the game and address entropy by creating new solutions that come from another level than the one in which the problems we face were created.

So how do we break the spell and transform? This is a call or T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N.

The way we've been organising society and organisations is not viable anymore: they are taking a huge toll on the planet, on humanity and on our own future. Things need to change. And it is each of us that will be part of that change, so we do have a role to play in influencing its direction. Here's an attempt at spelling transformation in new ways, that might help unleash the creativity that we all innately have. In order that we may dare to face up to our challenges from a constructive space of defiance of the status quo.

Let's dare to face up to our challenges from a constructive space of defiance of the status quo.

How about we take a new look at T.R.A.N.S.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N.?

T is for together: it takes all kinds, each of us brings different talents and different perspectives to the table. When we work together we achieve more than we ever would on our own. Synergy is not just a mathematical equation though. Diversity helps in creating more resilient solutions, Collaboration is critical for addressing challenges from a place of strength, and when we have each other's back we can really get to the core of the issues from a place of authenticity and radical change. In Change Ahead, I wrote: "As we all sail together into the future, one which we cannot possibly fully prepare ourselves for, we need each other as a source of inspiration."

R is for radical action: transformation needs traction. Addressing the depth of the problems and changing our systems needs radically different approaches. And transformation occurs by doing. Action is the name of the game, but not just any action and certainly not just superficial symptom-firefighting. Profound, concerted and meaningful action. I recently was reading some of Karen O'Brien's work and I think she formulates this more clearly than I ever could. She says: "Transformations to an equitable and thriving world will not happen through wishful thinking and hope. In fact, action and agency are essential to realizing desired outcomes and to manifest the quality and depth of changes called for in times of crisis. It is not just agency, but the quality of agency that is important when it comes to scaling transformative change."

A is for alive: perhaps one of the most pervasive concepts is the alienation of living systems around us in order to feed the narrative of makability and 'human' progress. Increasingly we are coming to see that we are part of the Earth as a living and interdependent system. Kees Klomp refers to this as the evolution form Ego to Eco to Seva. He talks about a transition to a purpose economy, in which our aliveness becomes a connecting factor. Seva is a Sanskrit word that connects the notion of 'saha' (with that), and 'eva' (too), to convey the meaning "in interconnection with that too." It is a concept of interrelatedness of both purpose and of impact and it is empowering in that, when being intentionally brought to all our interactions, can lead to collective benefit and positive impact, beyond the outcome of any particular individual. Here is how Kees Klomp visualises the importance of Seva in our thriveability [image credits: Kees Klomp]:

N is for nurturing & caring: the pandemic has been very revealing of inequality and lack of equanimity. Our societies are out of balance, and there is a deep need for nurturing and caring. Riane Eisler is a big inspiration to me on this topic, form her classic "The Chalice and The Blade" through to her newest book "The Caring Economy" she puts the focus back into nurturing and caring. These are 'soft' powers, that have the potential to transform each of us and through us the broader system. As Eisler says: "“Many cultural stories worldwide present the domination system as the only human alternative. [...] Along with newer stories that perpetuate these limited beliefs about human nature, they play a major role in how we view our world and how we live in it. But precisely because stories are so important in shaping values, new narratives can help change unhealthy values. Of particular importance are new stories about human nature. We need new narratives that give us a more complete and accurate picture of who we are and who we can be - stories that show that our enormous capacities for consciousness, creativity and caring are integral to human evolution, that these capacities are what make us distinctively human.” 

S is for systemic: transformation, as the word implies is about changing (“trans-“: across, beyond) the structures (“-formation”: form, shape, organisation). But there's no point in fighting symptoms and going about change superficially. For transformation to be lasting, it has to be systemic. So we all -across all systems- must ask new questions, challenge our assumptions, see every change as a viable pathway not as an ultimate truth. Which of course means that the system is continuously changing and evolving and transforming and so is each of us in it. As a matter of fact, this is the very reason why I practice transformation design. On our website you can read more about that. For now let me share with you our abbreviated definition of transformation design based on Wikipedia: "Transformation design is a human-centered, interdisciplinary process that seeks to create desirable and sustainable changes in behavior and form – of individuals, systems and organizations. Transformation Designers examine problems holistically rather than reductively to understand relationships as well as components to better frame the challenge. They then prototype small-scale systems – composed of objects, services, interactions and experiences – that support people and organizations in achievement of a desired change. Transformation design often results in non-traditional design outputs. Projects have resulted in the creation of new roles, new organizations, new systems and new policies." In other words, continuously (r)evolutionizing our systems.

F is for future loving, future driven/oriented, forward thinking: while we are invited more and more to live in the now, be it from spiritual practice or the 'carpe diem' that the pandemic has triggered for some... it is important to be aware that the present is pre-sent. The choices we made shape where we find ourselves. They have consequences. And we experience those consequences in the now. So deep transformation will require us to let this sink in. Stewart Brand talks about the 'long now' and Roman Krznaric invites us to be 'good ancestors'. Here's what Brand says: “Civilization is revving itself into a pathologically short attention span. The trend might be coming from the acceleration of technology, the short-horizon perspective of market-driven economics, the next-election perspective of democracies, or the distractions of personal multitasking. All are on the increase. Some sort of balancing corrective to the short-sightedness is needed—some mechanism or myth that encourages the long view and the taking of long-term responsibility, where “the long term” is measured at least in centuries.” says Brand. And he goes on to ask: “How do we make long-term thinking automatic and common instead of difficult and rare? How do we make the taking of long-term responsibility inevitable?” Krznaric tells us is time to face up to our responsibility to future generations: “At this moment in history the dominant force is clear: we live in an age of pathological short-termism. Politicians can barely see beyond the next election or the latest opinion poll or tweet. Businesses are slaves to the next quarterly report and the constant demand to ratchet up shareholder value.” We are all moving forward together, the future inevitably will unfold and we have a role to play in how that takes shape.

O is for open: perhaps the most mind-boggling aspect of our time is the speed with which access to knowledge is opening up. There are some days in which I think it's still too slow: for we need more transparency, more equality, more fairness, more justice. But as an optimist, I also see the glass half-full. Things are improving, and hopefully will continue to evolve in the best possible direction. When I focus on what is improving, I see that things are opening up: knowledge, tools, ideas.. unleashing the learning and entrepreneurial powers of those who become inspired by new possibilities. Openness is also about having an open mind, and an open heart to what emerges. We are more interconnected than ever before, and this will continue. Which means there is more oportunitiy for sharing, for dialogue, for collaboration. As Marina Gorbis of Institute for the Future says, we are all immigrants to the future and new landscapes are appearing on our horizon: "Today we are again in the early stages of defining a new age. The very underpinnings of our society and institutions--from how we work to how we create value, govern, trade, learn, and innovate--are being profoundly reshaped by amplified individuals. We are indeed all migrating to a new land and should be looking at the new landscape emerging before us like immigrants: ready to learn a new language, a new way of doing things, anticipating new beginnings with a sense of excitement, if also with a bit of understandable trepidation.” 

R is for (r)evolutionary: for transformation to be profound and lasting we must look at both its breadth and it depth. It is unmistakably broad: everywhere we are seeing signs of transformation already happening or the mounting urgency of the need to transform. This is no coincidence, as Nora Bateson explains it in her amazing book Small Archs of Larger Circles: “Treating symptoms, teaching to the test, gathering statistics… all of these forms of engagement have something in common… blindness to the complexity of the issue being addressed.” Simplistic approaches to (mainly quantitative) data gathering show us only part of the picture and can at best deliver some kind of incremental innovation that temporarily makes things bearable. However, getting to the core takes more than that and involves diving into the heart of matters so that we can evolve to our next transformational level and start a transformational revolution. It takes "shifting from parts to patterns", as Nora Bateson says: beyond fragmented, partial views into accepting that we are fully embedded in a bigger and much more complex whole. Reductionism must make way for revolutionary new ways of relating to the world and to each other. 

M is for movement: the complexity is such that no single individual can make a significant difference any more. That may sound disheartening, but it is a call for connection. To "Find the Others" as Douglas Rushkoff says. His book Team Human is a manifesto of his most urgent thoughts on civilization and human nature, which is published also as a series on Medium. Being human is a team sport, and joining our humanity to create movements is the way to change the world for the better: "Just as the veins within the leaf of a single fern reflect the branches, trees, and structure of an entire forest, the thoughts and intentions of a single individual reflect the consciousness of the whole human organism. The key to experiencing one’s individuality is to perceive the way it is reflected in the whole and, in turn, resonate with something greater than oneself." To create the change we wish to see in the world, we must start by igniting the spark and mobilising together towards new ways of doing, living, working and (inter)being.

A is for all-encompassing: meaning that transformation needs to be diverse, inclusive and supportive. These three elements go hand in hand: where diversity is about including different perspectives, inclusivity involves actually listening and embracing the diversity of points of view, and being supportive means creating a safe space in which we can all be heard, we can all contribute and we can all thrive. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi: "our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization." And a reminder that every single time that we are 'tested' by the circumstances, we have to call out biases, discrimination and be the agents of the change we want to see in the world.

T is for transcendence: the realisation that what we design and create has an impact way beyond ourselves is essential to profound transformation. In the podcast series #21for21 which we co-host with Marco van Hout, our first guest was Wouter van Noort: a Dutch journalist who explores our potential futures and systems change, and recently started a weekly newsletter Transcend, about transcendental purpose and meaning. It's quite interesting that Wouter and I met at a conference on Artificial Intelligence and that while he has been researching the future, technology and innovation for many years, his research has now evolved into transience. And he is not alone in his search. Here is what Wouter says: "in my view, a transformation is not only a profound change, but mainly a profound change within someone, within someone’s awareness, within someone’s view of their own position within systems. So it’s not just systems change, it’s not just some abstract entity, it’s really about our own role in the system." You can listen to the episode here. More and more we are coming to terms with the fact that there is no planet B, that it is up to us, that our actions are not inconsequential and that in order to thrive we have to act with integrity with the core of our being. Because we are not alone, we are part of a much broader and much more interconnected ecosystem.

I is for infinite ingenuity: because just like there are many roads that lead to Rome, there is no one-size-fits-all magic trick for transformation. Really the possibilities are endless, once there is clarity of purpose and a determination to act coherently with that purpose. Transformation involves experimentation, figuring out what works and playfully engaging with possibilities in order to create positive impact. This is why Rik de Vette and myself have been working on a playful way to do this... we will have more news this Autumn. The thing is, when you are driven by purpose, once you start exploring possibilities that may match that purpose your ingenuity gets triggered to 'see' things where there seemingly weren't any before because you are able to make new combinations from an integrative perspective: you can see what makes 'sense' in ingenious ways. In other words, to quote Henry David Thoreau: "It' not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

O is for original: clearly, when things are no longer working we must look for new and original solutions. Letting go of our mental models, assumptions, societal dogmas and blindspots is not an easy thing to do. Ed Catmull's Creativity, Inc. has the brilliant subtitle "Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration". Originality takes courage, it involves losing our fear of being wrong. Because only then can we let go of what we think we know for sure. Catmull makes it personal and shares: "By ignoring my fear, I learned that the fear was groundless. Over the years, I have met people who took what seemed the safer path and were the lesser for it...I had taken a risk, and that risk yielded that greatest reward...Always take a chance on better, even if it seems threatening." Breakthroughs, originality, innovation, regeneration, live in the space where we dare to go beyond ourselves and our limiting fears. Originality follows freedom, and emerges from a place of responsibility to make a meaningful difference.

N is for new narratives: as a designer I am naturally biased to think that what we need is a deep redesign. Because the deeper I dive into transformational topics through my everyday practice, the clearer it becomes to me that we have been sleep-walking to the tune of a narrative that is partial, driven by specific interests and mostly untrue and inauthentic. As humans we love stories, we believe them because they carry us with them into new and imaginary places. And imagination is a human superpower. Many years ago, Steve Osborne gifted me a copy of "Whoever tells the best story wins". In that book, Annett Simmons says: "Once you give your attention to the title Don’t Think of an Elephant, no matter how hard you try you cannot not think of an elephant. It is the same way with stories." And that is both a warning as well as a a source of inspiration. Lets be deliberate and careful about what we tell ourselves and what we tell each other: for it might just come true. Now is the time to rewrite the story, to redesign the narrative, to reinvent our common future.

Deep transformation is like magic

T.r.a.n.s.f.o.r.m.a.t.i.o.n. feels like something that was impossible at first and which, as it unfolds, engages our sense of wonder. We are at a magical time. It feels strange and scary, but it is also full to the brim with possibility. Some authors speak of this time as the contraction-filled space before childbirth. A space of unpredictability, of distress but also of hope and of determined action. A space with little tolerance for the inauthentic, for the superficial but also a space of meaningfulness and of connection to what truly matters.

We are at a time of magical fluidity. Recently Lynda Gratton posted the following in relation to a recent conversation she'd had: "Prior to the pandemic, the way that most companies operated was fairly "frozen". Now, as we reassess basic assumptions about work, management and workplaces, they have "unfrozen". But they’ll soon "refreeze" again as new practices solidify." She prompted me to think of Elsa in the Disney movie Frozen.

When Elsa becomes unfrozen, it is because she opens her heart and lets go of fear. This is what the character says in the movie: "Show Yourself. Step Into Your Power. Grow Yourself Into Something New." It is about birthing a new beginning, creating a new narrative and believing in the power of connection. Perhaps Elsa's most iconic line in "Frozen" is: Let it go. Let go of the fear. Let go of the systems and beliefs that are holding you down. Let go of what you were told was what you had to do, who you had to be, how you had to think.

Letting go is essential to transformation. I often compare it to monkey bars: you have to let go with one hand to swing yourself forward, then let go of the next and so on. This is a source of strength, resilience, vitality and makes all the difference. Holding on is unsustainable. In the face of change, freezing in place is not an option.

Let's bring about a t.r.a.n.s.f.o.r.m.a.t.i.o.n. that will help us regain our playfulness, our joy, our interconnectedness and our determination to go beyond what is and into what can be!

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About the author

Carola Verschoor is the founder and chief creative at Transformational Studio where she integrates decades of industry practice, design-driven methods and innovative approaches into participative, interactive and provocative consulting services. 

Through her work she helps transform perspectives, businesses, brands, people & teams through design leadership, authentic strategies, innovative interventions and creative boosts. Her aim through her practice is to (r)evolutionize change in a complex world and help embody the transformation we wish to see in business today.

Carola is the author of Change Ahead, which is recognised as a leading book on the emerging practices at the intersection of business strategy, research and design.