We are living in the new age of “wonder” where astute questions put us on the path of fascinating possibilities through the allure of utopian manifestations coupled with the sinister beckoning of dystopian outcomes. This dilemma of harvesting rich rewards while balancing the odds of marginalization/capitulation against the inevitable creation of the technological singularity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity) makes the prospect of change enticing, as well as ominous, in the inherently agile digital world. Change is no longer interpreted in terms of being gradual, steady, progressive, or linear; rather, the defining terminology revolves around the lexicon of hyper-fast, disruptive, transformative, or non-linear. Consequently, the rules that traditionally have tried to encapsulate the phenomenon of change also are going through multiple revisions rapidly as the past becomes an increasingly irrelevant predictor of the future. The following four key factors are driving such a profound prospect:
1. The Digital Cycle
There was a time when product cycles could be easily segregated in terms of distinct stages from conception to obsolescence that enabled top/senior management to strategize on a long-term basis with the benefit of “slack time” that allowed for “reflective pause” on honest missteps and resolute course corrections without jeopardizing the organizational integrity. However, this is no longer the case as the demands and expectations of consumers have changed significantly with the rise of digitally driven comforts. Conception is not restricted to a singular idea and has been forced into ecosystem thinking. Obsolescence also has undergone radical interpretation, from being “end-of-useful life” to “end of relevance” in terms of rapidly evolving consumer needs and expectations.
All the stages in between the two extremities also have had new interpretations, and the overall time to reach obsolescence has been reduced drastically. This also has affected the services sector where online and, especially, mobile-driven commerce is changing the familiar landscape of several industries. Consequently, managing successful change initiatives has become dauntingly complex due to deeply narrowed product cycles, dazzlingly fast service parameters, overwhelming information avalanches, and excessively hyped expectations from key stakeholders. Additionally, the path to sustainable success, formidable competitiveness, and continued relevance in a rapidly evolving digital world is paved by “productive rebels” rather than “Insular Conformists.” Therefore, the success of any change initiative is largely dependent upon progressive talent management practices that provide the breathing space for free thinkers and trendsetters who are imbued with the change imperative and enrich the organizational aptitude in unconventional ways that effectively boost the core value of innovation. Unfortunately, most organizations lack the enterprising spirit to engage in such bold/unpredictable initiatives and prefer the soothing influence of disciplined adherence to restrictive/measured policies/procedures/processes that are inherently open to modification but genetically unable to embrace meaningful change.
2. Multigenerational Workforce
Diversity and inclusion has come a long way from being a marginalized talent management concept to taking its rightful place as the centerpiece of a progressive and modern workforce. Its significance is even more amplified by the richness of employees from various generations, with unique preferences and distinguishable approaches to work, enabling the fulfillment of desired corporate goals and objectives. A general overview can be visualized as follows (and downloaded at the end of the article):
Trying to keep such a diverse workforce committed, motivated, and aligned with organizational imperatives requires deft handling of nagging concerns and proactive engagement with astute talent management methodologies. The respective challenge is even more pronounced in organizations that are geographically dispersed, especially in multiple regions across the world. Consequently, gaining buy-in for progressive change initiatives becomes highly challenging. This is further exacerbated by perceived threats to the comfort level in the status quo by negativity-triggering factors, such as corrosive organizational politics, prejudiced stereotyping, an active grapevine, intergenerational rivalries, increasing encroachment of AI-enabled technology, damaged psychological contracts, and lack of confidence in “felt-fairness” aspects of organizational policies/procedures/processes, etc. Subsequently, passive resistance takes hold within apprehensive sections of the workforce that clouds lucid thinking and rationalizes intrinsic opposition to any initiatives for enabling progressive change.
3. Disruptive Innovations
The word, “disruptive,” has come to signify the kind of transformative change that uproots existing norms of competitive economies and forges a path of its own by rewriting the rulebook while relegating the complacent titans of industry to the annals of history. It’s the kind of trailblazing that is majestic in nature and game-changing in practice. However, organizations that are built upon such innovations are also highly susceptible to becoming like the ones they replaced as accelerated growth and unbridled expansion come into focus, especially after the aura of being a startup disappears. Consequently, they become the target themselves of nimble players with an even better approach to taking care of consumer concerns/comforts and raising the delight factor several notches above the current standards.
One prominent example in the respective context is that of Nokia Corporation whose dominant share of the cell phone market was obliterated with the introduction of iPhone by Apple Inc., which itself is facing stiff competition from increasingly sophisticated devices from several Asian brands. A significant factor complicating change initiatives, especially among high-tech organizations, is that actual/potential competitors are not always visible on the corporate horizon due to their intentional or unintentional low-key profiles since they are not from the “established” community. They usually come into focus much later after the breakthrough technology already has been developed, tested, and floated through the media channels/venture capitalist (VC) circles, making an agile move from the existing industry leader too laborious/prohibitively expensive to counter. Subsequently, the self-preservation gene in the DNA of the established player often triggers the need for strategic acquisitions of emerging technologies/complementary ecosystems with the added prize of keeping the highly capable talent behind such innovations. A visual guide in the respective context is as follows:
Such measures frequently lead to raising the stakes of change as distinct organizational cultures, systems, and practices are carefully corralled and steered together to maximize the benefit from such acquisitions while being mindful of the high probability of failure. At an individual level, timely realization of the changing professional landscape due to disruptive innovations and the level of corresponding astute adaptability will determine the scale of career progression, career stagnation, or career obsolescence for diligent professionals in the foreseeable future.
4. Leadership Challenges
Progressive organizations consistently lament the dearth of capable leaders who can take up the reins at the top and sustain a robust stride toward continued prosperity. One of the challenges facing organizations in the respective context is the changing role and skill set of leaders who are expected to thrive in a ubiquitous digital world. For example, a significant requirement for tomorrow’s leaders is the penchant for service that goes beyond the professional demands of the assigned function and opens horizons for permeation of altruistic thought and meaningful contributions to the wider goal of ensuring a harmonious existence within the global community for mitigating/eliminating the chance of a misstep that might jeopardize an organization’s future in a increasingly sensitized and connected world. Additionally, being a futurist is becoming an indispensible skill for visionary leaders as momentous strides are made within the digital realm. This requires a profound rethinking of conventional/traditional approaches to leadership in order to embrace more progressive/dynamic ones; an example is depicted below:
The mandate for future leaders increases in complexity when the exponential strides made by Artificial Intelligence (AI) are considered with the prospect of incorporating them eventually as “employees,” rather than the status quo of being considered as advance machines. This entails the incorporation of new roles that are not appearing in the current organograms, such as Chief Internet of Things (IoT) Officer, Chief Virtual Reality (VR) Officer, Chief Human & AI Workforce Officer, etc. Consequently, the strategic aspect of the skill to optimally utilize both assets (human and AI) will be more significant than the operational aspect for future leaders as AI gains an increasingly stronger hold on workplace dynamics. This also points to the fact that lessons from the past are becoming largely irrelevant as there is no reliable precedence for a digital world that constantly is being reshaped by innovations that marginalize/outpace established rules/regulations/norms of commerce and prescriptive management practices. Therefore, grooming the next crop of leaders is being optimistically leveraged upon the sanctity of the current best practices and the probabilistic determination of formulated predictions for the future. Thus, change becomes even more of a precarious gamble than a resolute certainty in terms of yielding desired results.
Food for Thought
Change can be enticing, liberating, galvanizing, promising, and/or rejuvenating for those with an accommodative mindset. On the other hand, it also can trigger feelings of foreboding, vulnerability, intimidation, unjustness, and/or retribution for those with an apprehensive disposition. The moment of truth for progressive organizations striving for relevance in the future is attaining and sustaining the unwavering confidence that the ground they stand on is not precariously wobbly and can easily withstand the unpredictable tremors of doubt.
Murad Salman Mirza is an innovative thinker and an astute practitioner of areas within and associated with the fields of organizational development, talent management, and business transformation. He has lived, studied, and served in different regions of the world, including, the U.S., Australia, South Asia, and the Middle East. His LinkedIn profile can be viewed at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muradsalmanmirza
