We spoke with experts from Grant Thornton about the evolution of change management and the skills needed to succeed.
Change management, that is the systematic approach to dealing with a transition, is becoming an increasingly crucial skill for organisations and the employees who keep it all running. Nowadays, whether it is a change in company-wide policy, advancements in technology or the addition of new recruits with a unique or transformative mindset, the majority of organisations are undergoing some form of evolution.
This evolution requires care and a strategy, which is why for global provider of professional services, Grant Thornton, change management is critical to any programme an organisation might run, be it digital or otherwise.
“Typically, what that involves is having the right stakeholders in the room from the outset of a programme and throughout,” explained co-head of consulting Brian O’Dwyer. “So the people who are going to be impacted by a digital change programme, or any programme of that nature once it goes live, need to be engaged.
“We’re plugged into a network of 73,000 people globally. We have incredibly close ties across 149 markets and really, really close ties, obviously, to the US. Now, given our most recent deal announcement locally, we have over 500 people involved in change programmes, supporting clients across multiple industries.”
Merging new and old
As with any skill you are aiming to learn or improve upon, you are likely to ask yourself whether you should embrace new and emerging trends, or stick to what has been tried and tested. When it comes to change management, traditional skills, for example communication, adaptability and leadership qualities are always going to be in-demand and need not be forgotten in place of equally valid new skills.
“The skills needed around complex change and transformation programmes have remained consistent. So being adept at understanding programmes and change management are still core tenets,” said Amanda Ward, also co-head of consulting at Grant Thornton.
“What has changed is a new layer of skillsets that are now required over the more traditional management consulting capabilities and they include really understanding the methodologies and strategies around AI, around cloud computing and machine learning.”
Modernised skillsets that include increased awareness of trends around consumer engagement and how an organisation presents or essentially sells itself are also gaining in popularity.
As noted by Ward who said, “there is a huge focus on the customer experience capabilities and skillsets and they include skillsets around UX and UI design, customer journey mapping and digital branding and marketing”.
For Rachel Jennings, an assistant manager in consulting at Grant Thornton, her time at the organisation has been vital to her growth, in a personal sense, as well as in her career, as she has developed her skills.
“I joined the firm three and a half years ago as a graduate,” she told SiliconRepublic.com. “So I think I’ve definitely grown personally and professionally in that time and developed lots of important core consulting skills that help drive change for our clients.
“Strong communication is probably the one that comes to mind. I also think emotional intelligence is probably an undervalued skill that we acquire in consulting. Bringing dynamic teams together, you know, change in your reaction to different clients’ personalities and their way of working is a really important skill and I think the one that we’re really good at here in Grant Thornton.”
She noted that how an organisation structures itself can benefit not only the consumer base, but also encourage different facets of a company to share knowledge and expertise in order to achieve an end goal and develop individual skills.
“We try to structure our teams cross-functionally for our clients. So we have a blend of core SMEs combined with consulting and project manager skillsets that I think help our clients get the best of what they need from us. Having a team structure that’s core and tangible and tailored to what our client requires helps our clients ensure that they get the best from what we can offer them.”
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