“I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,” said Alice a little timidly; “but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then”
Twist is 16!
In August 2004, I set up Twist Consultants. I wasn’t one of those people who originally had ‘running my own business,’ at the top of my list of life goals but as unexpected as it was, it has been a brilliant and sometimes challenging ride. It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve done.
During the last sixteen years, I’ve worn many hats; consultant, copywriter, contractor, interim, coach and even a role in house (it didn’t last very long – I missed the variety I get from working with a range of clients).
As this anniversary has drawn closer, it’s made me think how much has changed and what might be coming up, especially with the impact of COVID-19. Here’s just a few ideas.
People matter more than ever
Change management wasn’t the ‘thing’ it is today when I set up Twist Consultants. My first experience of anything like it, was when a far-sighted client recruited me to help build engagement and develop communication for a big system, process and restructure change to their team of almost 1,000.
It showed me the importance of putting people first in organisations and the positive difference that can make; principles that have served me well ever since. Organisations are made up of people and change only happens when each of them makes a shift, one at a time. I learned that taking people’s views and approaches into account make all the difference – they can offer a very unique perspective that, as a leader, you just might not be in a position to see.
Purpose, meaning, values
There’s been a lot of talk in the last few years about purpose and meaning in the workplace and how important it is. The organisations I’ve found the best to work with as a supplier and who’ve had the greatest engagement in their teams have been those with leaders who do what they say they're going to.
Most people pick up on the behaviours of their peers and their immediate managers. Any gaps between the ‘say’ and ‘do’ in behaviours stick out like a sore thumb and get in the way of building trust, especially when you want to change something in your organisation. So, don’t say one thing and do another.
Global shifts, local impacts
From where I was sitting during the global financial crisis of 2008/2009, the organisations that could shift quickest, with an open mind who listened to their teams and were confident in their approach, seemed to fare the best.
I’ve been reminded of this again as we try to work through the pandemic. The ‘reimagining’ of the workplace and the debate about whether it’s better to work from offices or from home - and any hybrids in between - will continue for a while. Although this is a very uncertain time for most of us, it’s also a great opportunity to rethink the way we do things.
There are political and economic challenges coming up and we have the very real threat of climate change looming too which will have a big impact. Horizon-scanning and the need for agility and flexibility in the way we work will be even more important for organisations – rather than dealing with what seem to have been ‘predictable surprises’ for many. I believe that making decisions rapidly as things shift will continue to be the norm and having the skills to support and guide people – and themselves - through this uncertainty will be vital for leaders.
Tech, tech and more tech
I grew up in technology – I worked in telecoms and for an internet business for the first fifteen years of my career and most of my work since has been with folks from a range of technical backgrounds. The shift and sheer scale of change in technology has had a profound impact on us all. Some jobs have simply disappeared (along with the telex and fax machines and typewriter that I used when I started work) and I suspect our ability to cope with the pandemic would have been very different without WiFi. For me, balancing the human and technology will be key, as well as remembering that tech can’t replace everything we do and feel.
Moving from ‘telling’ to coaching
At the same time as the growth in the change management and project professions, coaching and mentoring has become much more commonplace since I started my business. I used to consider coaching to be something exclusive for senior leaders in organisations but that has been changing and quickly.
I’ve seen a growth in coaching as a management style - helping people to learn through finding their own solutions rather than being told what to do. And, the number of structured mentoring programmes I’ve come across in organisations has grown too along with people seeking out their own mentors. I see coaching and mentoring continuing to increase alongside more formal learning approaches inside organisations as people take more responsibility for their own development.
Partnership makes all the difference
I’ve worked with some great clients, some of whom have become good friends and others I still work with, sixteen years later. Our careers have grown together. The things they’ve had in common is a willingness to work in a partnership, with mutual respect, being prepared to listen and work collaboratively. I’ve learned lots from them all.
Things have changed quite a bit for me and my business since I started out and the world is a very different place. Twist Consultants began with a copywriting job (writing is still a passion of mine) and has developed to using my communication and coaching skills to help clients who are under pressure to deliver a big organisation change. It’s been an interesting journey so far.
I think we’ll see a wholesale shift in how we work in the next few years and I’m intrigued to see what this means for organisations. As much as it was back in 2004, it’s going to be a fascinating ride.