From an academic and intellectual standpoint, it is undisputed today that there are limits to planning capability. But as we are only human, we seek the security of predictable, dependable planning in our business lives as well. This more or less implicit wish is a component of our psychological make-up as the product of evolutionary development. The insecurity of the change which is an inevitable element of transformations is essentially unsettling for us as human beings. Boldly declaring that we welcome constant transformation as an opportunity and are always open for new and increasingly rapid innovations is today the expected, politically correct attitude, so to speak. But transformation managers would be well advised to examine critically whether, and to what degree, there is truly willingness and openness to change among the people who will be affected or if they are paying only lip service to the idea. This honest assessment of the general psychological conditions must realistically be given consideration in the shaping of the transformation.

This gives rise to two challenges for the design of the transformation processes. The first involves generally acknowledging the complexity and limited predictability of transformations and finding a way to manage these factors as efficiently as possible during the transformation process. The second means understanding the human wishes, expectations, thought patterns, and emotions of the people involved in the transformation and addressing them adequately.     

Managers, financial investors, project managers, engineers, and shareholders see themselves in their professional roles and self-image as agents of rational thought and decisions. But business transformations, especially those of far-reaching scope, are driven by ideas and visions which are dear to the hearts of those involved, generating a high level of personal commitment and willingness to fight for their fulfillment. And since things usually do not turn out exactly as planned, disappointment, finger-pointing, stress, conflicts, and burn-out are frequently concomitants of transformations. So truly professional transformation management has the task of steering the emotional and political dimensions of the change in such a way that the common goal can actually be accomplished jointly. The classic presentation of the three change management dimensions as three circles (Figure 3) shows how important these two dimensions for transformations are. The remarkable feature of this representation is that all three circles are equally large, meaning that they are presented as being equally important.