The Change Imperative
Why are we so passionate about changing organizations for good?
Why are we convinced that this is imperative?
Because we need to improve employee experience
For much of the world, work today is primarily cognitive and interpersonal. Huge parts of physical or routinized work have been in some way automated - delegated to technology. Meanwhile, we humans need to think for ourselves and build productive relationships with other humans if we are to add value to that which has been automated.
This is a trend with great potential to liberate us, to offer work that is interesting and enables us to grow and find fulfillment. Regrettably, that is not what most of us are experiencing. The Gallup 2022 State of the Global Workplace report reflects that “Twenty percent of the entire world's population is totally miserable at work and another 60% are emotionally detached.” Putting this into perspective, the same report comments that “We spend between 85,000 to 115,000 hours of our lives at work. If you're miserable at work, it makes your life awful.”
This is a terrible waste of human talent. The case for a more people-centric approach to designing and running organizations is clear. Research shows that companies with highly engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147% in earnings per share. And companies that invest in a positive employee experience are four times more profitable than those that don’t. As this graphic illustrates, a people-centered organization is likely to far outperform one that treats people as mere cogs in a wheel.
Because the world expects and needs more from our organizations
Countering inertia from within our discernible trends in the expectations of our stakeholders – customers, investors, partners citizens, whole communities. While far from universal, it is undeniable that an ever-growing proportion believe that business should be a force for good, and that this requires a combination of financial, economic, and social impact (if you will, the triple bottom line of People, Profit, and Planet). The response of business to these concerns is reflected in the growth of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) considerations in measuring performance.
These expectations are fueled by technology and interconnectivity, with stakeholders having ready access to unparalleled volumes of information (not all of it reliable) and inclined to strong opinions on just about everything. These expectations – of internal as well as external stakeholders – hold organizations to account and, while they may not always be reliably informed, our change management consultants believe that this is generally an important force in changing organizations for good. Change should not be driven by a concern for image, but by an authentic sense of why an organization matters and a desire to create opportunity and deliver positive impact.
Because it is difficult to keep up with the pace of change
Changing organizations for good is not only about becoming a great place to work and a force for good. It also explicitly recognizes that change is the only constant and therefore we need to become exceptionally good at change. This is not easy (we are all familiar with the concepts of change resistance and change fatigue) but we cannot escape the need. Just consider the following.
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The pace of technological change is so high and persistent that many organizations feel they must run hard just to stand still. Added to this, the move towards cloud-based Software as a Service forces organizations to continually adapt how they work to the systems they increasingly depend on. The role of people at work (how we add value) is a recurring question.
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Innovative deployment of technology can rapidly upend whole industries. Organizations can no longer take their continuing relevance for granted; they must find and nurture their role in their productive ecosystem, using foresight to create as well as adapt to change.
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The extent and nature of our interdependence has been transformed. We feel virtually connected to everything, without necessarily being personally in touch with the things around us. Organizations must deal with the challenge of connecting teams and individuals in environments that are continually changing their form.
Change can be exhausting – the primary antidote being a cause to believe in and that we feel able to positively influence. Which brings us right back to being inspired at work.
Because the time to act is now
Put together, organization design services for future changes feel imperative to us. As John C. Maxwell observed, “You cannot be the same, think the same and act the same if you hope to be successful in a world that does not remain the same” (Leadershift, 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace).
We must fundamentally re-think organizational design. Our change management consultants' response to these trends is OnFlow, which offers a practical pathway to thrive in an ever-changing world. In taking this pathway, we are guided and inspired by people worth listening to.