The first town hall was electric. Lights dimmed, music thumped, and a charismatic leader unveiled the vision: a complete transformation—bold, brave and brimming with promise. New tools, new goals, and a fresh cultural reset. Emails followed with visionary statements and sleek infographics. Posters lined the hallways. Employees talked in excited murmurs at the coffee machine: “Did you hear what’s coming?”
A few months later, the excitement inevitably wanes. The posters blend into the background. Inbox updates become scarce. Hallway conversations shift from anticipation to scepticism. The adrenaline rush of change gives way to the quiet grind of implementation. This is the ‘quiet middle’—the most overlooked yet crucial phase of transformation. It is precisely here where most ambitious corporate reinventions risk derailing.
“Any transformation begins with a plan and communication. You have to hype it, sure. But then, people have to return to the work of executing that change. That’s where HR steps in,” explains Dr. Rajorshi Ganguli, president and global head of HR, Alkem Laboratories.
Once the novelty wears off, employees confront the messy reality—confusing workflows, new systems to master, shifted expectations and leadership that sometimes goes silent after the opening fanfare. This phase brings psychological risks to the fore: fatigue, scepticism, fear of inadequacy and, in worst cases, withdrawal.
“Any transformation begins with a plan and communication. You have to hype it, sure. But then, people have to return to the work of executing that change. That’s where HR steps in.”
Dr. Rajorshi Ganguli, president and global head of HR, Alkem Laboratories
Udbhav Ganjoo, head HR, global operations, Viatris, observes, “This is the point when the end-state feels distant. The early euphoria fades, and people start to lose steam.”
In such scenarios, transformation fatigue isn’t merely about working harder—it’s about working in ambiguity. Uncertainty around roles, lack of feedback or the perception that leadership has moved on can alienate teams and push top talent to disengage.
“This is the point when the end-state feels distant. The early euphoria fades, and people start to lose steam.”
Udbhav Ganjoo, head HR, global operations, Viatris
Ganguli emphasises that this phase requires HR to play a multi-layered role. “You have to understand where bottlenecks are emerging—not just in processes, but in people dynamics. Corridor talk, resistance, silence—these are red flags. HR must bring these to leadership.”
This means going beyond dashboards and surveys—walking the floor, listening to what remains unsaid in meetings, decoding team morale and becoming a trusted feedback conduit for leadership.
“Every month, publish a one-pager or a newsletter. Talk about challenges, learnings, achievements and who’s been recognised. Make the story of transformation everyone’s story.”
Sujiv Nair, group chief human resources officer, Re-Sustainability
“When something is working well in the transformation, HR must spotlight it. Recognise those who are embracing the change. Celebrate them,” Ganguli advises. Simultaneously, HR must not shy away from difficult conversations. “If someone is consistently resisting or undermining the transformation, they need to be counselled, even confronted.”
This dual role—cheerleader and conscience-keeper—becomes HR’s most valuable contribution during the quiet middle.
“Momentum thrives on visibility,” says Ganjoo. “If there’s no sustained communication after the launch—if the leadership stops talking about it—it quickly becomes a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”
Organisations that succeed in transformation don’t merely launch initiatives; they remain in the trenches with them. They find ways to make progress visible—even when significant wins may be months away. This could manifest as a monthly internal newsletter, a dedicated digital channel celebrating team efforts or regular town halls discussing modest victories and challenges alike.
Sujiv Nair, group chief human resources officer, Re-Sustainability, takes this concept further: “Every month, publish a one-pager or a newsletter. Talk about challenges, learnings, achievements and who’s been recognised. Make the story of transformation everyone’s story.”
He makes a compelling point—“Transformation must never be purely target focused. The ‘purpose’ must be communicated, not just the plan.” When people understand why they’re changing, they become far more willing to endure the discomfort of how.
Employees aren’t motivated by slide decks. They’re motivated by stories—of colleagues who took risks, of teams that overcame resistance, of small wins demonstrating movement in the right direction. “During the mid-phase of transformation, people need to feel progress to believe in it,” says Ganjoo. “Micro-wins, peer recognition, storytelling—these are emotional strategies, not just managerial ones.”
In one example, a manufacturing company undergoing digital transformation created a “Change Champion” programme. Monthly, employees who developed creative ways to adapt to new tools were featured in short videos and highlighted during the CEO’s all-hands meetings. The focus wasn’t on major achievements but on demonstrating momentum. Such peer storytelling humanises the journey, validates efforts and makes people feel seen.
Too often, transformation is measured solely by quantitative metrics—project completion rates, system adoption percentages or productivity increases. But as Ganjoo aptly notes, “Traditional KPIs miss intangible shifts—such as cultural alignment, psychological safety or collaboration.”
Organisations must adopt additional yardsticks: Are more people speaking up in meetings? Are teams seeking feedback more frequently? Are silos dissolving?
Are long-standing resistances softening?
These subtle signals, when properly gathered and analysed, become powerful indicators of genuine change. As Nair puts it, “Success isn’t just about milestones achieved. It’s about the learnings from failures shared openly and the behavioural shifts observed.”
He recommends incorporating emotional intelligence sessions at the outset of any transformation. “It’s about the human factor. Unless you train people to navigate the emotional terrain of change, even the best-designed strategy will stall,” he observes.
One underutilised but effective approach is distributing transformation ownership. Rather than centralising change management, appoint transformation leads at project and team levels who can serve as culture carriers, communicators and local feedback channels.
Linking transformation to performance recognition is another approach. Nair even suggests that if transformation boosts EBITDA, a portion of the gains should be shared with contributing teams.
Technology also plays a critical role. “Leverage AI and IT tools,” Nair suggests. “Not just to perform the transformation, but to track it, narrate it and sustain it.”
Transformation doesn’t succeed merely because of bold announcements. It thrives when leaders and HR commit to the unglamorous work of middle management—repeating the message, reading the mood, resolving conflicts and rewarding efforts.
It requires balancing ambition with empathy, structure with flexibility, vision with execution.
When the spotlight fades, the people who remain engaged are those who believe. And belief requires constant nurturing. The truth about transformation is elegantly simple: it’s not what you launch that matters most; it’s what you sustain—quietly, consistently and collectively.
