The Art and Science of Transformational Change for Personal and Professional Development

6th – 8th February and 6th – 8th March 2026
Pamplona: Live.
Created and Presented by John McWhirter, Creator of DBM®
Presented in English with Spanish translation by Aine Donaghy.

Change is a constant in life. Transformational Change is one of the most impactful types of change. In organisations it is often described as “profound, fundamental shifts in strategy, structure, culture, operations, creating a new state”. For personal and professional changes there are many more possibilities, many very positive, sadly man are negative. One kind of change that transformational is Life Learning change, learning how the world works and how to work the world.
This practical workshop is about Life Learning about Transformational Change, Learning about how it works, learning how to create it, and how to change negative transformational changes.

Modelling Change

To be more effective in managing change, especially Transformational Change it greatly helps if we understand how it works. The deeper the understanding, the greater the potential effectiveness in managing it.
Through Developmental Modelling (DBM®), John McWhirter has over many years modelled “Change”. The results are a wide range of different distinctions, processes, and models that greatly increase our life learning about change.

Change Processes

The main change processes are Transitional Change. This is how changes happen. There are three types that work in a fractal way. These are:
1. Transit
2. Transfer
3. Transform

Change Types

For the practical everyday kinds of changes that we need to create to manage our everyday lives, the main types he has identified are:
Maintenance Changes, Remedial Changes, Additive changes, Subtractive Changes, Developmental Changes, Transformational change .

Transformational changes are often considered the biggest and most impactful in life. While this is often the case it is easy to overlook the importance of smaller, more everyday examples of transformative changes, changes that can greatly increase or decrease our quality of life. Positive changes like becoming fitter, losing weight, starting to learn a musical instrument, learning to cook, and many more, can greatly enhance our lives, Others can be positive or negative, like retirement, becoming single, and getting older. It is often not fully appreciated that many negative experiences are the result of transformational changes. Even little simple changes can add value to life, a candle on the diner table, expressing appreciation, even smiling at someone can transform experiences.
It is often assumed that Transformational changes are fixed or final. Many though require to be maintained. Lack of understanding this often result in transformational changes not lasting; people lose weight and the regain it, get fit and then lose the fitness.

Going Deeper into Change Types

These changes are evidence of a deeper range of transformational possibilities including:
Transformational Maintenance Changes
Transformational Remedial Changes
Transformational Additive changes
Transformational Subtractive Changes
Transformational Developmental Changes
Transformational Transformational change
The last one is particularly interesting, transforming the process of transforming. This is particularly useful in changing negative transformations.
Transformational changes are often evident through new labels such are being an professional, an artist, being retired, married, or a pensioner. These labels one of the main ways of identifying the changes

Negative Changes

While a lot of changes are positive and useful many changes also be superficial and even damaging.

Stopping bad feelings without checking if they are valid and accurate evaluations or warnings puts us more at risk. The modern fashion for “feel good” rather than living life effectively results in many people avoiding important life issues, and making positive changes. The well intended palliative patterns and techniques of some therapies miss opportunities to make meaningful and useful changes in life.

This Workshop

In this practical training John will guide participants through a sequence of experiential exercises that will create a deeper understanding of different change processes, including Maintenance, Remedial, Additive, Subtractive, Developmental, and Transformative.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of what changes are possible for Transformative change. Participants will also learn about changes that are dangerous or time and resource wasting, how to identify them and how to rectify them.

How to create different changes that are useful on there own and also supportive of Transitional Changes.

Syllabus Includes:

Different Change Processes, and Types of Change, and how to identify them.
Developmental and Negative Developmental Changes.
DBM® Consultancy Model.
DBM® Self-Management Model.
DBM® World Management Model.
DBM® Field Model.
Applications in Personal and Professional Development.
Working with yourself and helping others to change more effectively.