Mastering the Infinite Game of Transformation
Transformation used to be a project with a start and end date. Not anymore. If you’re still treating transformation as a finite game, you’re playing the wrong game.
We tend to look at transformation as a one-off initiative or program to get to the next level of performance:
We realize the need for a major change.
We analyze the problem and build the business case.
We secure the needed resources and design a solution.
We roll it out - often creating enormous disruption and resistance.
But at last, the project is done, and we settle into a new steady state.
And yes, there was a time when it made sense to think about transformation as a one-off effort that. But those days are gone. Organizations today are permanent construction zones, and nonstop change is the new normal.
Treating transformation as discrete event assumes that transformation is a finite game with fixed rules, known players, and a defined endpoint.
But these days, it makes more sense to think about transformation as an infinite game. Infinite games, as Simon Sinek pointed out in his 2019 book, are very different. Rules evolve.Players come and go. There’s no final victory. There is no end point.
For infinite games, the goal is not to win, but to keep improving, adapting, and moving forward. If we approach transformation as an infinite game, the challenge is to build an organization that thrives when
The future is uncertain
Goals and priorities shift
New challenges emerge
Employees, leaders, stakeholders change
Strategies, technologies, policies evolve
Companies like Amazon don’t wait for massive transformation programs—they evolve continuously. Amazon deploys new software updates every 11.6 seconds, proving that small, iterative changes drive sustained innovation.
Leaders that equip their organization to approach transformation as an infinite game have a big advantage over those who rely on large scale change efforts to get back on track:
Reduce Risk
Frequent small adjustments reduce the risk of failure compared to massive, high-stakes transformations. Organizations that iterate frequently can fine-tune offerings in real time, rather than waiting for a big transformation that may already be outdated.
Increase Resilience
Organizations that change constantly develop a higher tolerance for uncertainty and are better at absorbing shocks such as sudden economic downturns or technological shifts.
Accelerate Change
Markets, technology, and customer expectations change too fast for organizations to afford long periods of stagnation. A company that is always experimenting and adjusting is better positioned to spot and capitalize on trends early.
Reduce Fatigue
Employees experience change fatigue when forced into massive, disruptive transformations. Smaller, more frequent changes are easier to absorb, reducing resistance and improving engagement. Employees in continuously evolving organizations see change as an opportunity, not a threat. When teams experience change regularly, they build confidence and competence in adapting to new ways of working.
Encourage Learning
When change is normalized, employees and leaders become more open to experimentation and innovation. A continuous improvement culture encourages people to iterate, learn from failures, and refine instead of fearing change.
Improve resource utilization
A single large transformation requires enormous time, money, and energy, often with unpredictable ROI. Incremental changes spread the cost and effort over time, avoiding the “bet the farm” approach.
Attract and Retain Talent
Top talent wants to work in organizations that embrace learning, agility, and adaptability. If an organization resists change for too long, its workforce becomes stale and disengaged, leading to turnover.
Understanding that transformation is an infinite game is step one. But how do you make it a reality inside your organization? You need an improvement engine—one that continuously identifies, prioritizes, and implements change without causing disruption.
How to Build an Improvement Engine
An improvement engine allows you to identify and implement changes in real time and constantly elevate your organization’s performance.
What does it take to build such an improvement engine?
Conduct Frequent Health Checks
High-performing organizations don’t wait for major failures before acting. They have routines to assess and improve work before problems spiral out of control. To learn more about how to conduct frequent health checks, check out this post.
Think of these as regular pit stops—moments to reflect, diagnose, and adjust. Whether through performance reviews, process audits, or team retrospectives, these check-ins help identify opportunities.
Build an improvement backlog
An improvement engine runs on opportunities to make work more effective, efficient, and engaging. There is often no shortage of opportunities to improve. Make a list of ideas. Focus on ideas that all into your zone of control or influence. Prioritize them based on impact and effort required.
Equip your team
The most important part of that engine is your team. They are often the first to notice the pain points. Do they have the right mindset, experience, and tools? A little training can go a long way. That’s why, in our workshops, we start by taking teams through an interactive experience where they fix a broken process—and leave with practical tools to improve their own work.
Encourage Experimentation
In an infinite game, staying still means falling behind. That’s why innovation isn’t optional—it’s essential. Encourage your teams to experiment, take calculated risks, and learn from setbacks. Every new insight refines the approach, helping you play another round smarter than before.
Innovation isn’t about chasing moonshots. It’s about continuous adaptation—learning, tweaking, and improving every single day.
Embrace Collaboration
In finite games, opponents are to be defeated. In infinite games, alliances make you stronger. Prioritize collaboration—inside and outside the organization. Build trust, share knowledge, and identity win-win opportunities.
Strong relationships with your boss, peers, customers, support functions, and partners are critical to secure their support and enable change. Ask yourself:
✔ Do you have access to the right stakeholders?
✔ Are their interests aligned with yours?
✔ How can you secure their support?
Build Supporting Routines
Without structure, continuous improvement efforts can quickly lead to chaos. The key is to establish a rhythm—regular, intentional efforts to make work better, bit by bit. The compounding effect of these small improvements quickly adds up to significant impact.
Agile frameworks provide a useful blueprint for breaking work into small, manageable changes, implementing them iteratively, and sustaining progress over time.
The Leader as an Orchestrator
In an infinite game, leadership isn’t about command and control—it’s about orchestration. You don’t need to have all the answers - but you need to create an environment where your team can solve problems and develop better solutions.
Your role is to:
✔ Provide clarity on purpose and direction
✔ Set the pace for continuous improvement
✔ Enable collaboration and resource-sharing
Ready to Master the Infinite Game of Fixing Work?
Fixing work is an infinite game, but most leaders are still stuck in the old way of thinking. Join our executive leadership webinar to learn the playbook successful organizations use to thrive in continuous change.