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ISSUE 248 – Synopsis – June 2025
Sustainability
The world keeps demonstrating in devastating and tragic ways, the impacts that a reliance on fossil fuels has metered out on the environment. There have been incredible advances in alternative energy sources, but they are invariably expensive, controversial and momentum is slow. Most worryingly, green energy has become a political football and increasingly seen as commercially uncompetitive on the world stage. However, sustainability is not confined to the quest for net zero, the ‘human’ resource is often overlooked. We are in the midst of a perfect storm in which businesses are struggling with tough market conditions in a sustained economic downturn, at the same time as having to react and adapt to radical change at constant and fast pace. Inevitably in such conditions, employees across organisations are being expected to absorb the impacts, while many are struggling with a cost-of-living squeeze. The consequences are increasing stress and burnout, spikes in absenteeism and attrition and dwindling retention, at a time when businesses are taking on the challenges and opportunities that the future holds. Leaders and HR must not just expect people to comply, they need to support a culture of innovative operational improvement and integrate sustainability into every aspect of the business. By embedding sustainability into the organisational culture and decision-making processes, businesses can create long-term value, while minimising their environmental footprint and will attract and retrain the talent so critical to future competitiveness.
Organisational development strategy
In recent years, through a pandemic, economic volatility, changing markets and accelerating technology, OD strategy has been a continuous WIP and an ever-present distraction for business leaders and HR. Collaboration to align organisational goals with its overall growth and employee development can result in a lack of cohesion, but data and analytics now play a crucial role in bringing all of the strands together to shape the strategy, by providing insights into employee performance, engagement and organisational health. By analysing data from employee surveys, performance reviews and turnover rates, business leaders and HR can identify areas for improvement, such as; skill gaps, leadership development needs, or team dynamics. Predictive analytics can also forecast trends, enabling proactive adjustments to the OD strategy. This leaves HR more time and space to focus on the human aspect of operations, communication and cohesion and to define clear objectives for organisational growth. This should include enhancing employee performance, promoting a positive company culture and optimising operational efficiency. OD objectives should be specific, measurable and aligned with the company’s long-term vision and business leaders must ensure that these initiatives are properly supported with resources, such as mentorship opportunities and performance management systems. Above all, it’s about fostering a culture of continuous improvement, by promoting open communication, encouraging innovation and providing avenues for employee feedback. By focusing on employee engagement and aligning organisational goals, businesses can achieve sustainable growth and a high-performing workforce.
Resilience and agility
Building resilience and agility are essential values in business today and requires a culture that embraces change and adapts quickly to challenges. The first step is fostering a growth mindset across all levels of the organisation, where employees view challenges as opportunities to learn and innovate, rather than obstacles. Leaders should encourage experimentation and support risk-taking in a controlled environment, promoting an atmosphere where setbacks are seen as stepping stones to success. HR can support this by offering training programmes focused on emotional intelligence, stress management and problem-solving, ensuring employees are equipped to handle adversity. Additionally, leaders must prioritise clear communication, especially during times of uncertainty, to keep teams aligned and focused on common goals. But enhancing agility often requires streamlining decision-making processes, allowing for quicker responses to market changes or internal challenges. Meanwhile, it’s encouraging to see that recent datasets invariably show that flexible work structures, such as remote work or cross-functional teams, also support adaptability, despite many firms forcing a WFO diktat. However, an important consideration has to be to mitigate against the increase in stress and burnout which can arise in a culture that expects resilience and agility as standard, not just in leadership and upper management, but right across the workforce. The burning question has to be, is a culture of agility and resilience a positive value, or is it extra fuel for stress and burnout? Is this just another way of saying “harder, faster, longer forever? AI has long promised to take repetition and rigour out of employee’s workloads and there is evidence that it is already impacting positively on jobs. Indeed, 72 percent of employees surveyed by Freshworks, said they trusted AI to bring value to their processes. That is an unequivocal endorsement that investing in technology and tools that improve collaboration and efficiency is essential to agility, enabling the workforce to remain productive, regardless of changing circumstances. Above all, business leaders must model resilience by demonstrating adaptability themselves and emphasising the importance of perseverance. By embedding resilience and agility into the organisational DNA, businesses can thrive in an ever-changing world.
The changing role of middle managers
Middle managers face heightened challenges and pressures in maintaining workforce optimisation. They are often caught between the demands of upper management and the changing needs and increasingly complex and personalised expectations of employees, making it difficult to balance strategic goals with day-to-day operations. They must navigate rapid changes, manage diverse teams and foster engagement while ensuring productivity. Additionally, the rise of remote work and digital transformation requires middle managers to adapt quickly to new tools and communication methods. With limited resources and high expectations, they must also act as change agents, leading through uncertainty, while maintaining team morale and performance. But while it’s taken as read that they are increasingly pivotal in navigating today’s complex business landscape, what is often misunderstood is that the role is changing in obvious and nuanced ways. Traditionally viewed as intermediaries between upper management and frontline employees, their role is expanding beyond mere supervision. As organisations become more agile and employee expectations evolve, they are now key to driving change, fostering innovation and maintaining company culture. They bridge the gap between strategic goals and operational execution, translating high-level directives into actionable plans and, with these heightened expectations comes greater pressure. To thrive, they need more than just basic management skills, they require support in areas such as; leadership development, emotional intelligence and change management.
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