Anyone can…………….. Change – Part 1
For those of you with children or maybe (like me) still love animation, you will be aware of the movie Ratatouille. The premise is that a famous French chef wrote a book entitled “Anyone can cook”. It seemed to go against the reverence that the French have for food and cooking and was not taken seriously. However, it inspired a rat (of all things which is the point) to follow his dream to become a chef and all the hilarious action is centred around a rat in a restaurant kitchen. If you have not seen it, then it is worth a watch for kids and adults.
What is the point? I have spent my lifetime with what I think is a gift of the gab, able to express myself in classrooms, discussions, formal debates, public speaking, offices and in social settings. I have felt able to discuss almost any topic from politics and religion, sports and current affairs, business and leadership etc. Yet, I have never felt able to write. I have approached written reports and presentations and written dialogue with trepidation because I always felt able to talk it but not to write it.
After the push, encouragement, and correction of my network of family, friends and colleagues, I have realized that “Anyone can write”. What is important to realize about that statement or the book from the movie is that “Anyone can” is not to be confused with “Everyone will”. The statement is meant to convey the truth that our background, experience, gender, colour, nationality or species (see rat above) are not necessarily limitations on fulfilling our dreams if we don’t let them. The title of this piece is “Anyone can change” so that includes all of us.
I write this as a qualified accountant, a business professional, a black man, a grandfather and I hold many other titles from my journey in life as will all of you. I write this as a Finance Change and Transition Specialist who can assist businesses to navigate their way through changing environments and therefore know that I need to be able to change myself as an example of others being able to do the same.
In this post I will address business change, next week societal change and the final post will be on personal change. Change of unimaginable magnitude is taking place all around us right now so I hope you find what I have to say relevant and interesting.
Business Change
Where to start. COVID-19, IR35, Furloughs, Social Distancing, Working from Home. Has there ever been a time that so much change has been crammed into such a short period? Many businesses and organizations face levels of unprecedented uncertainty. Questions about if to open, when to open, staff at home or at the office, have my markets changed and are my products or services still relevant to name a few. There are going to be winners and there will be some high-profile losers in the coming weeks and months.
I am going to address the behaviours that I think will characterize what winners look like?
- Winners will do their best to understand what the new normal looks like today and predict how it will evolve.
- Winners will start to plan for organizational changes in line with their best estimate of today and tomorrow.
- Winners will assess their organizational skillset and identify what they need to successfully navigate forward.
- Winners will be honest about the gaps and recognize that they need to invest in appropriate resources (new permanent staff, new interim staff, external consultants, outsourced services, business acquisition or divestment) to ensure that the organization is where it needs to be.
- Winners will know that any decisions they make will not be based on perfect knowledge but a realistic and sound assessment of available information and then stepping forward with clarity of thought and communication.
- Winners will recognize that when new information becomes available that changes their initial decisions, they can be flexible in direction and honest about why adjustments are necessary.
This is by no means an exhaustive list but guidelines which can be adapted to the specific realities of any business. What do you think? I absolutely welcome your feedback and comments.
We at CTCM Change Management Specialists Ltd are here to assist your business to navigate this changing world and find your own path to success.
Gregory Webster CPA
