Change Management: Insight about Transformation

Utkreshta Consulting
Oct 19
4 min read

Updated: Oct 21

Not all changes are equal — some are visible, some are valuable; some are fast, some are foundational.

Organizations, like individuals, are in constant motion — adapting to new technologies, new strategies, new structures and market realities. While visible milestones like certifications, project completions, or industry awards are often celebrated, these markers can fade away if they do not take root in the daily mindset and habits of the people involved. That’s the nature of temporary change.

Real, sustainable change is not a matter of metrics, momentary achievements or visible reflection. It’s about the depth and permanence of transformation.

The challenge for leaders and professionals: How can you tell if change is built to last, or just skimming the surface?

"Change is meaningful not when it’s showcased, but when it sustains." - HKS (Author)

Understanding Change - 8S Dimension

Change is not only about what we change, it's a spectrum with many faces - it can be temporary or permanent, reactive or proactive, top-driven or ground-anchored.

Recognizing these dimensions will help you guide your organization or team in enabling sustainable change:

Dimension	Guiding Question	Practical Perspective
Source	Is the spark coming from leadership or the ground up?	Top-down direction brings order and speed; ground-up involvement creates true ownership.
Scale	Are you changing one team or the whole enterprise?	Wider impact demands more alignment and empathy.
Speed	Is urgency needed, or gradual evolution preferred?	Fast change stabilizes crises; gradual change shapes culture.
Style	Reactive to problems, or proactive toward vision?	Proactive change outlasts reactive fixes.
Sustainability	Short-term stability or deep, lasting transformation?	Sustainability is less about duration and more about depth.
System	Are success stories told through KPIs (Quantitative) or proven by new behaviors (Qualitative)?	Metrics show immediate progress; habits reveal lasting change.
Structure	Is change symbolic (to comply) or systemic (to create meaningful improvement)?	Symbolic change decorates; systemic embeds meaning and growth.
Sentiment	Do people feel change is forced, or do they internalize it?	Genuine ownership accelerates transformation.

Introducing the Change Compass

Visualizing change through these lenses creates a “Change Compass”—a way to assess whether your organization is experiencing surface-level shifts or deep-rooted transformation.

Ask yourself: Are we transforming the system, or merely reshaping the surface?

Change Management and Business Success

“Every change must be intentional.”— HKS (Author)

Change initiatives can be belief- or system-driven, growth- or result-oriented — each valuable in its context. Some change help stabilize; other enable transformation.

To understand what truly sustains, we explore change through the 4P Model for Business Success — Purpose, Process, People, and Performance.

The 4P Lens for Evaluating Change

Each P represents a unique dimension, and together they form an organization’s Change DNA.

4P Dimension	Requirement	Reflection	How to sustain change
Purpose	The intent behind change	Why is the change needed? Is it compliance, vision, or belief? Is it Short-term or strategic?	Anchored through values and vision.
Process	Translating intent into action	How will it be implemented? Is it output focused, project based or about lasting systems?	Embedded through discipline and design.
People	Ownership of action	Who leads and own the change? Is it leader-driven or self-driven? Is it forced or participative?	Enhanced through empathy & empowerment.
Performance	Declaring success	How is success defined? Is it through numbers or new normal?	Reinforced through feedback, accountability and learning.

When all four pillars move together, change becomes part of the culture—not just a one-time project.

The Change Maturity Journey

Organizations evolve in their ability to handle change — from reacting to issues, to building systems, to creating culture of growth driven by leaning, adaptability and shared ownership.

Stage	Nature	Typical Duration	Example
Implementing	Short-term fixes: Compliance- or target-driven change; outcome focused on control, short-term stability and visible results	6–12 months	Implementing ISO 9001 to instil discipline.
Adopting	Building routines: System-focused; emphasizing standardization, measurement, refinement; building predictability and efficiency.	1–3 years	Adopting Lean Six Sigma to reduce waste and variation.
Embedding	Living the change: Belief-focused; culture driven - anchored in vision, ethics, long-term identity; improvement gets instinctive.	3–5 + years	Embedding Business Excellence, Quality (Tata, Toyota) into DNA.
Belonging	Cultural anchors & differentiators: Growth-focused; capability driven; focused on learning, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and shared ownership;	Ongoing	Becoming industry leader, nurturing customer empathy, anticipating latent needs like Apple or Unilever.

As organizations mature in how they manage change, the mindset evolves from instruction to intention, compliance to conviction and participation to shared belief.

At higher maturity, people mindset represent the real transformational side of change — people drive the change because they believe in it. Such maturity is achieved and sustained through empathy, empowerment, and emotional connection with purpose.

A successful change is about strong alignment with 'why' - from doing things because they’re required to doing things because they’re right.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Change: Real-World Perspectives

Consider these common contrasts:

Surface Change (Short-Term)	Deep Change (Long-Term)
ISO certification	Tata Group’s sustainability vision
5S in one department	Toyota’s Kaizen culture
Digital upskilling drive	HDFC Bank’s digital transformation
Awards for safety week	Tata Steel’s safety culture
Frontline training programs	Amazon’s customer-first obsession
Winning a service award	Becoming a trusted, respected brand

Think about:

Nokia’s late pivot compared to Apple’s ongoing innovation
Blockbuster’s brief digital efforts vs. Netflix’s strategic overhaul

The Heart of Sustainable Change

Sustainable change aligns time, intent, and resources — but its real anchor is mindset.

The People Mindset is the most living dimension of transformation — ever-evolving, rooted in learning and belief.

No change lasts unless people own it.

When people change because they have to, transformation ends when pressure ends. When people change because they want to, transformation sustains on its own.

Sustainable change isn’t visible in dashboards; it’s visible in decisions, behaviours, and everyday consistency.

Leadership Takeaways

Align change efforts across purpose, process, people, and performance.
Balance speed with depth—don’t let urgency mask the need for culture.
Anchor initiatives in intention, not just instruction.
Foster emotional connection and ownership, not compliance.
Remember, culture doesn’t resist change—it resists confusion.

For leaders, professionals, and students: Sustainable transformation is not about what shines in the spotlight, but about what lasts behind the scenes.

Ask yourself—are you engineering temporary applause or building enduring capability?

💬 Like, share, or drop your thoughts in the comments — or connect with me on LinkedIn to keep the conversation going.