Webster defines transform as to change in outward form or appearance, composition or structure, character or condition.  These correspond to three levels of change:

Change in outward form or appearance

This is surface level change.  Often relatively easy to accomplish and easy to see.  Rarely lasting or meaningful.

Change in composition or structure

This is the next level of change, is harder to bring about and often feels more useful.  But remember this:

Every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet new situations by reorganizing…and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

Petronius Arbiter, d. A.D. 65,Roman governor and advisor (arbiter) to Nero

Change in character or condition

This level of change is the hardest to accomplish, the hardest to see and the change that is going to be the most lasting and meaningful.

Onboarding as an act of transformational leadership

Onboarding is one of the acid tests of leadership – for all involved.  If both the manager bringing someone in to work for them and the new employee approach onboarding as an opportunity for two-way transformations, the chances of making a meaningful and lasting impact on each other’s character and condition for the good are greatly enhanced.