The Change Word

Changemaker. Change leader. Driving change. Stories of change. Catalyst for change. Systemic change. The word appears so often that it can start to mean almost anything.

This is a wider problem with development language. Words that once helped describe real ideas can become branding shorthand. Once everyone uses them, organisations need even more elaborate versions to stand out.

Language matters because it shapes how we understand work. Sometimes the clearest description is also the least fashionable one. Instead of asking whether something drives change, perhaps say what actually changes and for whom.