Use Change to your Advantage

Finding the best perspective to Transform Your Organisation

The only constant in our modern, fast-moving lives today is CHANGE. 

Every organisation and government worldwide is faced with the challenge of staying relevant in an environment of constantly moving goal posts.

Updating an organisation exposes both challenges and opportunities. 

I have witnessed many organisations pay lip service to the benefits of change, and outwardly commit to positive transformation - but actually inwardly close down. 

The issue is not change itself - but being confident enough to make the right decision - back the right horse and trust that the gamble pays off.

The business of business is changing. For example, there are blurred lines created by the advent of social networks - private and commercial boundaries provide concern for most organisations. 

Businesses either ignore social networks, begrudgingly set up unloved and soon outdated social networks (to be ‘seen’ to participate), or embrace these channels, put effort into them and nurture the relationships - reaping rewards that develop because of their important nature.

Older business planning tools - like demographic classifications - ‘Baby Boomers’ vs ‘GenX’ were all that was available to understand the behaviour of customers, employees, partners and entrepreneurs. 

These classifications are less powerful now, due to the Internet’s availability with its plethora of information, which has democratised knowledge, attitudes and experience and has opened knowledge channels that were formerly only the realm of academics. 

Search Google, and you can train yourself in most things you could imagine - this incredible freedom and opportunity has rewarded those who were savvy enough to get on board early. 

There is nothing stopping an 80 year old learning Spanish to become an interpreter, a 10 year old creating an orchestral masterpiece or a Fitter and Turner learning how to write a successful novel. 

How else do attractive twenty something couples travel the world and make fortunes out of their photoshopped adventures, attracting the advertising dollars that used to be dedicated exclusively to print media.

What has this got to do with your business, government, department or global enterprise?

Everything Actually.

Now more than ever, as humans our behaviours are constantly changing as technology becomes more targeted to our every activity. 

Five years ago, how many of us travelled with Uber, ordered a Deliveroo, used our mobile phones to board a Qantas flight, sent text messages with Video Memes, asked Siri to read our emails aloud and then dial our friends number, or used Google Maps to show the fastest route and the best parking to get from home from the airport.

What is your business, job role or company right now? Have you thought about how it will change BECAUSE it will, and quicker than you think. 

No job today, will be the same in another 5 years or sooner. 

Of course, we still need agriculture, construction, mining, engineering, white collar, government services etc - but with the advent of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the need for human labour will diminish significantly, every sector will be affected.

Given these are the facts, how can you contribute to transformation to make the best use of what is available for a a smooth transition and take advantage of change?

Develop your natural curiosity with an open mind for learning and this will naturally remove any fear of the future. 

Be actively involved and importantly ensure you gain a high level of trust from the people you choose to take your organisation on that journey. 

This is a new era, you need the right people to take you further. 

Most current projects that involve ‘organisational change’ and ‘digital transformations’ use antiquated and counter-productive procurement practices, cookie cutter implementation and training tools, and a formula based in the 1990s, which lock out any value from the change. 

Be bold and trust the agile new organisations that put you and your business at the centre of the equation. They will work hard to make sure you get the value you need.

And finally, be aware of being ‘sold to’ by people who say they have all the things you need with a product or products that requires very little work.

I dislike the term ‘Out Of The Box’ solutions - because they do not exist! No solution that has been developed as an ‘OOTB solution’ will ever be anything but generic, too good to be true and an eventual money pit.

Do it right first time.