The importance of change and transformation roles during times of uncertainty

There is no denying that the past few years have been challenging for businesses. External pressures such as Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate change have all piled on top of the usual internal stressors that business leaders face every day. 

Few Irish businesses have been spared, with all organisations across the country being impacted in at least some way. These impacts have created a shift in the importance of a business's ability to handle change, mitigate risks and undertake transformation in order to leverage new opportunities. This is why many business leaders are now proactively seeking out change and transformation professionals to help them survive and thrive during difficult times.

What is change management?

In order to remain competitive, businesses must be flexible. But change isn't always easy, especially when an organisation is well-established with multiple teams and complex processes. This is where change management comes in. 

Change management is all about identifying the need to change a business's goals or processes and then systematically dealing with those required transitions. Change management isn’t simply saying ‘we need to change’, but managing the change through established strategies and change management principles. 

There are several approaches and subdisciplines within change management. These include: 

• Programme management
• Change management
• Business analysis 
• Project Management Office (PMO)
• Process improvement

Why is change management important?

Although some industries move slower than others, all industries will change over time. Change management within organisations is a crucial process which ensures the sustainability and long-term profitability of a business.

There are many reasons why managing change is important. This may be due to external factors such as global pandemics, natural disasters or political turmoil. Equally, it may be to support internal changes such as rapid growth or business acquisition. Whatever the reason, businesses need to take a systematic approach to deal with the transformations they need to undertake in order to survive and thrive. 

This requirement means that professionals such as Change Managers, Analysts and Programme Managers are essential to business success. This is primarily achieved by limiting potentially costly and unnecessary complications in the change process. 

Managing change during uncertainty

Smart businesses consistently invest in continuous improvement. This is especially true during times of uncertainty when the biggest benefits can be gained. Improving processes and facilitating change during uncertain times can help organisations leverage new opportunities. 

This has clearly been seen in the past few years as Irish businesses seek out ways to overcome the impacts of the pandemic and Brexit. For example, many businesses were forced to implement digital workspaces in order to overcome the challenges created by pandemic lockdowns. This was a major change for most businesses, yet one that is still paying dividends for those who successfully executed the rollout. 

Why work in change management?

It is clear that correct organisational change management is growing in its importance. This means that there is likely to be considerable opportunity for change management professionals in the coming year. But it isn’t just potentially lucrative opportunities that make change management such a great career. 

Change management careers are also perfect for those that want to take on big challenges which can make a real difference to organisations and industries. Those in change management roles also often find themselves working on a variety of different projects and integrating themselves into a diverse range of teams. This makes change management the perfect career for those that want to continuously develop.

Find your next job in change and transformation with Marks Sattin

If a job in change management and transformation sounds appealing to you, we have some exciting opportunities available. You can check out our latest vacancies in change and transformation. Alternatively, if you are looking for the best talent in this area you can submit a brief now.