Lesson 4 (6 September 2011)

Lesson 4 (6 September 2011)

Change is the only constant. But what drives changes?

There are many drivers of change such as technology, demographics etc. Changes can be classified into two types, namely evolutionary and revolutionary.

Evolutionary---Gradual development over  long period of time

Revolutionaly---Entirely new and different development

Changes can be for the better or for the worse. For instance, social media has definitely improved communication between people and allow us to be updated about the life of our friends and families. But on the other hand, it can cause addiction and harm relationships.

It is nearly impossible to predict what change comes next or the rate at which changes are occurring. Thus, it is important not to be complacent even though it seems as if we are at the top. This is highlighted in the article “Global Drivers Of Change: Their implications for the Zambian Construction Industry”. Changes in technology and market place have rendered the traditional methods used by the Zambian companies obsolete. This illustrates the need to monitor changes and innovate in response to changes.

Changes cannot be stopped and are often irreversible. Therefore, it is pertinent for us to manage changes well, which brings me to the next part- Change Management and Leadership.

As the world is generally moving towards a knowledge-based economy, education and life-long learning, coupled with intensive research and development should be heavily emphasised upon because these factors are crucial to managing future changes. Reason being that innovation is very much the only solution to coping with the changes, and therefore, there is much to know before we can innovate successfully.

Along with the changing structure of the economy is the changing structure in the workplace. A hierarchal structure that will work in the past will no longer be relevant in most workplaces. As people become more educated, people are looking towards career advancement and feeling valued by the company, while companies are constantly seeking measures to improve the company’s performance. These require motivation of the employees which can only be done at a personal level. A hierarchal structure in this case would only leave workers at the bottom of the pyramid feeling neglected and unvalued. Thus, leaders should have ‘change management’ skills to maintain the competitiveness of the company.

I would give today’s lesson a rating of 8/10 as it broaches on topics which I have never thought about before.