With change becoming the new constant in business, it makes sense to future-proof your organisation and team to ensure business continuity and growth through both planned and unplanned disruptions.

But how do you go about planning for change when you may not know when it is coming or how it will present itself? Here are some steps you can regularly take with your team to ensure you future-proof your organisation.

Anticipate trends

To stay ahead of the curve you need to anticipate customer needs and industry trends over the coming months and years. Actively ask your team questions like:

• What is changing in the world of our customers?
• How will they use product or service in the future?
• Are some inclusions or features more valued than others?
• What other problems will they experience that can be solved by using our products or services?
• Is the delivery of products and services changing due to industry innovation or client demands?
• What new technologies are being developed or used?
• Also, don’t discount the changing needs of your workforce, and what they too will want in the years to come.

Change needs to be anticipated not avoided. You can’t afford to be complacent or be stuck ‘doing what you’ve always done’ and still expect steady growth. Customers are becoming savvier – and so are your competitors.

Consider external threats

Look at what is happening externally to your business that could impact on your operations and growth over the coming months and years.

• Is the cost of business rising?
• Are suppliers increasing prices, dropping their quality or headed for trouble?
• Are competitors working on more flexible business models, more intuitive products or services or a more affordable pricing structure?
• Will economic conditions or the introduction of new regulations or legislation impact your current business model or offerings?
• By asking these questions regularly, and having plans and measures in place, you ensure your organisation is best prepared to respond to change instead of having to react

Increase knowledge transfer and up skill your team

Creating a culture of job transparency and collaboration combined with the ongoing training and development of your staff through career coaching is perhaps the most critical step in future-proofing your organisation.

Whether you need to grow or downsize to respond to change, by investing in your team and increasing knowledge transfer you ensure your organisation has the capability and capacity to continue through periods of high change.

Don't do it alone

Change is inevitable, but you don’t need to go it alone. When you are in the thick of ‘business-as-usual’, it can be hard to see all of the risks, threats and opportunities in front of you.

By drawing on the experience of experts that understand the most efficient ways to deal with organisational change, you not only minimise your risks and costs, but you also maintain and improve your culture and the engagement of your employees.

Need to future-proof your organisation to be more change ready? Call the Turning Point Partners team today on 1300 27 83 45.