Change Management & Business Transformation – Current Trends

This last 18 months has been an interesting one for not only our country, but the wider global economy, a lot has happened, the impact of which can be felt on both a professional and personal level.

Many companies and organisations are currently addressing a demand for innovative strategic technology changes, business development and inclusive environments, whilst the ever-increasing demand to be accommodating with constantly evolving regulations, compliance and mandatory change is always looming.  Strong leaders are currently needed now, more than ever, to successfully manage these developing mandates, transitions and changes.   The connection between Business Change and Transformation and improved results is palpable, in a situation where things literally change at the drop of a hat, or FTSE point, we need change leaders that have experience as well as agility.

A sample of current change demands we are seeing across the UK:

• Digital Innovation and enablement
• GDPR
• Finance Transformation
• Brexit readiness
• Shared Service Centres
• Re-organisations
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Product Launch
• Supplier Integration

Societal dynamisms continue push forward the need for inclusion, diversity and flexibility; with keen focus on self-development and career management.  I can envisage that these two mindsets – diversity and development; will be critical in the next 12 months.  This combined with demand for change makes for a very interesting landscape across our sector.

Any Change Management professional I speak with I am now trying to ascertain not only their skills, strengths and ability across change management, but also their ability to bring their stakeholders on the journey.  The ability to negotiate, communicate and influence are as important as the ability to scope out, manage and deliver change.

Depending on the organisations, sponsors and stakeholders that they have worked with will ultimately determine their ability to tick off the various elements that make up a Change Management Professional.  Invariably you don’t know what you don’t know, until you know it – so I continue to encourage candidates, consultants and contractors to have a good think or, even better, ask for specific feedback from their peers and stakeholders about what they do well and which areas they could improve on.