Charities need to keep up with the pace of change

Ian Marchant opened a fantastic event recently with a clip from Hitchhikers guide:  42 is the answer to life the universe and everything . It set the scene for a great discussion on the incredible pace of change, using his iPad as an example: “It’s more powerful than a 1970s supercomputer costing £35m,” he pointed out. The use of data, collected and connected by new technologies is being triangulated for new insights into how we live. New technology can help increase the efficiency of computer chips, and develop smarter transport systems and more energy efficient cities. The potential for new technologies to reduce climate change and make doing the right thing easier is huge. My colleague Rebecca’s blog covers the event the 2020 climate group event in more detail. The world is changing fast, so the onus is on us to keep up. Ian described himself as a digital non-native and explained how he often used technology first in his personal life before thinking of its application to the workplace. Having said that, he also mentioned he is on his third iPad! My sense is that he is far more technically savvy than many leaders I know.

Keeping abreast of the changing world is vital for everyone, not just leaders

In America  60% of charity leaders are baby boomers due to retire in the next 5 years. The age of Scotland’s charity leaders is not known but my guess is Pat at Acosvo, who organised the event, will soon be investigating this. An ACOSVO event with Dr John Brothers looked at leadership and change, comparing his experience from America and Northern Ireland with useful insights for Scotland. Dr Brothers examined planning leadership change, the power of not immediately replacing a leader when they leave – and the role of the board in this decision.  He speaks from personal experience as well as having the research data to back it up. He has been an Interim Executive Leader 13 times. Often this has been for an organisation in crisis but also for organisations that know they need to take stock and embark in change management programmes. There are many reasons for not jumping to immediately replace a leader. Frequently boards push for a quick replacement thinking that this will steady the ship, but often it does the opposite. When there has been a long standing CEO or founder, the evidence shows that new leaders frequently do not last more than two years. The reason being, implementing regime change is difficult. By using a skilled interim they can be more objective and dispassionate, working with the staff and board to take stock before paving the way for a new leader who may require a different skill set to the previous one. With the world changing so fast, many boards may be facing this situation going forward. Keeping abreast of the changing world is vital for everyone, not just leaders. It was disappointing not to see more third sector representatives in the audience to hear the 2020 discussion or the ACOSOVO one. For me, both events showed the need for early, open and honest conversations about the way ahead.