All change

The news this week is busy with opinions on the cabinet reshuffle, on the people stepping up, those stepping down, and those we expected to see step aside who have firmly planted their feet and remained in post.

Can we apply this ‘all change’ approach to business, and could your organisation benefit from a reshuffle?

Traditionally, we anticipate that we will climb the career ladder in a straight line. We choose a path, learn the relevant skills, and keep building on that knowledge and experience until we reach the top of our chosen tower.

But, more and more, that linear climb to the top isn’t quite our reality – and, for many, we find ourselves in an entirely different position to the one we initially hoped to reach.

As the world of technology, communications and business grows, develops and changes we see some roles become obsolete, replaced or streamlined by outsourcing or new technologies – and these new technologies come with new responsibilities and positions which need to be filled, so the job market flexes and adapts. As it does so, we need to flex and adapt to continue to meet the needs of industry and growth – and of the people employed within that market.

Is it best to populate your organisation with the cream of the crop, finding the most experienced people, those with the most specific, niche knowledge, the one person who knows how to do that job?

Common sense would say yes – of course you want that one, best person filling the role – but what if that one person chooses to leave and you’re left with a void you don’t know how to fill? Perhaps the position they fill is one which is destined to become obsolete? What happens to that knowledge, that experience, then?

Is it not, perhaps, better to shuffle that experience, to shake the knowledge around your organisation and reposition people into positions in which they might not know the most, but they can see a fresh angle which might improve the status quo?

The very best organisations are committed to development – of their products, their services, and their people. Development can mean building on expertise in one area – or it can mean taking an expert from their comfort zone and positioning them somewhere else in the organisation – where their expertise isn’t, perhaps, as relevant, but they can make different use of their knowledge and learning power. The person who is best at one thing will continue to do that thing, to the best of their ability – but someone who isn’t entirely sure how to do a new thing might find a better, more efficient solution, with a transference of skills garnered elsewhere.

Great leadership isn’t, after all, about doing one thing better than anyone else – it is instead about bringing the best out of a whole team of people, finding new solutions to old problems, and creating a future in which everyone has written part of the story of success.

The one thing we know about people, as an animal, is that they seek reward and fulfilment – and fulfilment comes from growth. When you’re reaching the pinnacle of your expertise in one place, you might become stagnant or disenchanted. This is where we can recognise the power of change – and how embracing a culture of change can lead to new growth, deeper levels of fulfilment, and more knowledge and development, creating multi-faceted leaders who are experts in a range of fields. A leader who has been struggling in one role, and questioning whether they are even cut out for leadership, may find themselves soaring in another; repositioning or trialling new responsibilities in projects outside of their usual remit can be the very secret to unlocking their potential, meaning they can return to their original role with new insights, or transition to a new role where they can add more value, with greater confidence.

If you want to discover the hidden secrets within your leaders, call ASK today and let’s arrange a meeting, and open your future to a universe of discoveries.

Don’t leave change up to chance!

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