Saturday Catch-Up: Drivers of Change

Kerrie Smit
Jun 22, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Oct 4

People and organisations will inevitably face change. While it's a natural—and perfectly understandable—response to try to avoid the unknown, staying on top of change is the most recommended way to approach it. So, what are we seeing by way of the drivers for change? What are the environmental or external factors creating shifting sands for both individuals and organisations? In this week's Saturday Catch-up we look into the drivers of change.

Key Drivers shaping Today's Environment

Market Innovation and Agility: Our industry is experiencing a fundamental shift in market power bases. Challenging Traditions: Insights from a Market Embracing Innovation showed that market behaviour is moving away from supporting traditional business structures and is more interested in innovation, satisfaction, customisation, self-service, transparency, and diversity. If businesses aren't agile enough, they risk being left behind.
Global Flux and Macro Forces: Broader global change deeply impacts the world of work. Big Change and what it means for all the other changes explored how the wider world is constantly in flux, moving forward rapidly or backwards into pain or corruption. We are learning that managing change as a global force requires a far more concerted effort than managing change at an individual level.
Digital Adoption and AI: You can't look past the need for digital adoption as a core driver. Understanding Change Management's Vital Role in Supporting AI and Digital Adoption explored how AI and digital tooling are driving change, and how change management plays a vital role in supporting the necessary adoption.
Internal Operating Models: An operating model refresh may result from an examination of external market opportunities or internal realignments. In Transforming Your Operating Model for Change Success, we saw how operating model change has been progressively recognised as a significant tool that can propel change outcomes forward, leading to increased efficiency and success when coupled with other change activities.
Generational Behaviour: Our aggregated response to change can be a driver in itself. Bridging the Generation Gap: Navigating Change Across Different Age Groups discussed how the four distinct generations in a typical workplace influence markets differently through their buying and adoption behaviour. Successfully bridging these differences is key to managing change effectively.