Change vs Transition
Smart-Book note for leadership & personal growth
🧠 Inner Growth
Big Idea in One Sentence
Change is what happens around you; transition is what happens inside you while you adapt to that change.
1. Definitions
External vs internal, outside event vs inner journey.
External
Change
Change is an external event or situation that is different from before.
- New job, new boss, new rule
- New project, new tools or system
- Happens at a certain date or moment
Internal
Transition
Transition is the inner process of adjusting to the new reality.
- Letting go of old habits
- Dealing with fear, doubt, and hope
- Building new mindset and behaviors
2. Quick Comparison
Change
Transition
Happens to you (outside)
Happens in you (inside)
Event, situation, decision
Psychological and emotional journey
Can be quick (one day)
Usually takes time and stages
Visible to everyone
Often invisible, private
Managed with plans and tasks
Guided with communication and support
3. Example: Construction Team
How this shows up in real work.
Change: Your company moves from manual BOQ to a new SketchUp + plugin workflow.
- New software is installed
- New standard for drawing and reporting
- New rules for how to submit work
Transition: Your team learns to trust and use the new workflow.
- Some people feel afraid or confused
- Old habits (Excel only, manual count) must be released
- They slowly become confident and faster with the new tools
The software change can be done in a week.
The human transition may take months.
4. Leadership Insight
As a leader, you must handle both:
- Managing change: plans, timelines, training, tools.
- Leading transition: listening, coaching, encouragement, clarity.
When projects fail, it is often because the transition was ignored, not because the change was a bad idea.
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English word comparison