Is there such a thing as 'Business As Usual' anymore?

It would be good to hear if there is any organisation that isn't currently undergoing some sort of change or transformation in the world. We are now in 2023 and I think it is fair to say that between 2020/21 and a little into 2022 there is a real sentiment that change has been forced on many organisations, with the need to respond to the pandemic demands especially in the digital space. Others have needed to revisit their core offerings and the pressures on the newly branded People and Culture teams continue as organisations need to address their changed people needs and talent attraction and retention strategies.

But what does the 'new normal' look like in organisations when everything seems uncertain?

So what does the landscape of continual change and transformation look like?

Like arriving in a different country and seeing it for the first time, many employees just aren't use to the concepts, language or processes that need to be created or improved upon for change adaptability to be where organisations want it to be.

New capabilities for leaders: Project sponsorship, the need for stronger financial acumen and change leadership are  3 capabilities at leadership levels that may require an investment in courses, coaching and reflective monitoring to embed.

New capabilities in organisations: Project management, financial management and change management are all new capabilities that middle management will need to develop. There is much debate now about being a generalist vs a specialist, with the view that being a generalist is often now preferred. Develop a subject matter expert with these additional skills and you will be investing in a well rounded leader. Add to that the ability to coach others and lead teams and you will have a powerhouse and high performing individual.

You can either 'buy in' or 'develop' these skills but you will definitely want to make some structural changes to provide support to these individuals and the organisation to become more disciplined and realise more benefits from that investment. Structural changes would be the introduction of a Program Management office or Transformation office. This office would provide transparency, tracking and accountability for major programs and be able to identify efficiencies. Organisations consider then having a Centre of Excellence which standardises Project and Change Management and can further support development of capability in conjunction with the centralised Learning and Development function.

Also when wanting to become more agile you will want to assess the health of your change ecosystem.

People related strategies need to change. Long term workforce planning identifying additional skills required, changing workforce needs and a plan to respond to them. Even geographical locations are to be  re-assessed and consideration to 'hubs' to support flexible working and even further investment in technology to embed hybrid ways of working. Investment then also lends itself to improving employee capability in using this technology.

When transformation occurs without considering culture change as foundational thinking, sooner or later there will be an inevitable identity crisis. A culture crisis if you will. So with every transformational change, the culture needs to be considered and aligned.

So if you are introducing transformational change, remember the people oriented elements, inevitable structural changes and skillsets needed to be developed. And every step of the way, ask the question what does this mean for our culture?