Why Transformation Isn't Linear
Your body doesn't "achieve" a state. It cycles. Breathe in, breathe out. Build tissue, break tissue. Companies are the same. The health isn't in any single state—it's in the rhythm.
"We measured engagement at 72%." Static. Frozen. No indication of direction, velocity, or phase.
A company with GPI 7 isn't necessarily sick. They might be at peak crystallization, about to dissolve productively. Or frozen solid, unable to change.
You can't tell from a single measurement.
"Organizations don't transform once. They cycle. The question isn't what state you're in. It's how well you're cycling."
This is the difference between a thermometer and an EKG.
One tells you temperature. The other tells you if you're alive.
What works gets repeated. Patterns emerge. "Let's do that again."
Process becomes policy becomes culture. "This is how we do things."
Reality stops matching structure. Cracks appear. Structure breaks.
Fluid. Experimental. New patterns emerge. "What if we tried..."
Then back to crystallization. But higher.
The consulting industry sells transformation as a journey from A to B. Current state to future state.
It's a compelling story. It fits in PowerPoint. It justifies contracts.
It's also wrong.
Failed SAP implementations: Jumped to integrated systems without building capability
Abandoned cloud migrations: On-premise to distributed without metabolic preparation
Dead innovation labs: Field-state pockets in particle-state orgs, no integration path
Rejected acquisitions: Bought field-state companies with particle-state metabolism
Amazon is often cited as a field state success story. GPI around 3.2.
Amazon didn't start in field state. They spiraled to it.
PHASE 1: Retail (GPI ~7)
Books. Warehouses. Process optimization. Mastered particle first.
PHASE 2: Marketplace (GPI ~4)
Third-party sellers. Distributed inventory. Used Phase 1 to enable Phase 2.
PHASE 3: AWS (GPI ~2)
Infrastructure-as-service. Used Phase 2 coordination for Phase 3.
PHASE 4: Logistics (GPI ~5)
Own delivery infrastructure. Revisiting particle with field capabilities.
AMAZON + WHOLE FOODS
GPI gap: 2.9 points. Within range.
Result: Successful integration.
HP + AUTONOMY
GPI gap: 4.7 points. Beyond range.
Result: $8.8 billion writedown.
"Transformation isn't choosing particle or field. It's building the capability to spiral between them."
Nuclear power plants should be particle state. Startups should be field state. The problem isn't the state. It's the mismatch.
CRYSTALLIZATION ADDICTION
"We need more process." Terrified of dissolution. Eventually frozen.
DISSOLUTION PARALYSIS
"We're still restructuring." Perpetual crisis. Burns out the org.
FIELD ROMANTICISM
"We're agile." Mistakes chaos for adaptability. Nothing compounds.
PARTICLE NOSTALGIA
"Back to basics." Every crisis met by restoring the old way.
You can't skip the spiral.
Organizations that try to skip phases trigger antibody rejection. Organizations that try to jump too many GPI points at once fail.
The path forward isn't faster movement.
It's smarter spiraling.
From the upcoming book
The Growing Pains Index
Chapter 5: You Can't Skip the Transition
Measure your current GPI. Understand which phase you're in. Plan realistic transitions.
TAKE THE GPI DIAGNOSTIC