Change management trends for 2024

If organisations and companies were expecting 2024 to deliver more certainty and fewer surprises, they are likely to be disappointed. The speed of (and need for) change continues to increase, meaning change management consultants must be properly equipped for the challenges ahead. 

• Change management: a manager’s deep dive

To help us understand the key trends, I spoke with change management specialist Ranjit Sidhu, a Chartered Management Consultant who co-edited The Effective Change Manager's Handbook: The Change Management Body of Knowledge. Ranjit also helped to develop the Change Management Practitioner and Certified Local Change Agent qualifications.

Skills shortages and technology challenges 

Many organisations in almost every industry are still struggling with skills shortages, says Ranjit. 

“Post-pandemic, people realise they have more choices and are freer to exercise those choices,” she explains. “Even councils – which have always been able to recruit in their local area – are finding that, because of the trend towards remote working, they are now having to compete for the same local people with other councils and local authorities.”

There was plenty of demand for tech-led change management before Covid-19, but the pandemic amplified it as organisations recognised the need to be more digitally savvy and build an infrastructure that enabled them to adapt. 

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“The pandemic also resulted in many organisations seeking help with restructuring, forming new divisions, finding cost efficiencies and implementing redundancy programmes,” continues Ranjit.

“Likewise there is demand for systems transformation so organisations can future-proof themselves. And now artificial intelligence (AI) means the pace of and need for change are accelerating.”

Finally, Ranjit sees many organisations considering how to prepare for the future in terms of sustainability. “Some of this is actually being driven by their customers and client base, with organisations competing to see who can get ahead of the curve,” she says.

Watch: Embedding sustainability practices into your Consultancy practice