Keeping up with industry trends is one of the most important things you can do as a management aspirant in our ever-changing world. As we all keep up with one another on social media, it’s critical to do the same as trends in your industry emerge.
While it may be tempting to stick with what your company has done in the past, incorporating trends as they emerge will set you apart and keep you in the know about your industry.
Evolution in Management: A Backdrop
Management as Science emerged in the early twentieth century to increase productivity and efficiency through standardisation, division of labour, centralisation, and hierarchy. Industries were dominated by ‘top-down’ management with strict control over people and processes.
We shifted our focus from measuring function to resource allocation in the 1970s. Strategic planning processes were formalised using strategic planning (GE), Growth-Share Matrix (BCG), and SWOT analysis. After decades of ‘best practice’ and ‘one size fits all solutions, academics began developing contingency theories.
In the 1990s, benchmarking and business process reengineering became popular. By the middle of the decade, most Fortune 500 companies claimed to be planning or had already started such projects.
As we advanced, organisations in the 2000s began to focus on using technology for growth and value creation, principally driven by the consulting industry under the banner of Big Data.
Management Trends in 2022 & Beyond
When 2021 arrived, any hopes of rescue were quickly dashed as we adapted to a new COVID wave: the availability of vaccines and related workplace rules and work-from-home becoming an enduring part of company cultures.
We’ve had a lot of practice dealing with change over the last two years; fortunately, management approaches have evolved and continue to grow.
Just like if you are in a fitness business, the trend of software constantly evolves and one example of that is the personal training management software which can help you and your client in monitoring your output.
Today, we’ll take a look at five trends shaping the future of management and its role in the ever-changing workplace of 2022 and beyond.
- From awareness to expectation
According to a recent survey by Gartner, 48 per cent of HR leaders said that change management would be a priority in the coming year.
In many ways, prior to 2020, change management was the unacknowledged icon of mainstream business management. When change became the norm, employees in all organisations began to recognise and value well-executed change management strategies.
Change management awareness has evolved into a standing expectation as we approach 2022. When a change occurs today, team members at all levels, from the C-suite to the factory floor, anticipate the support that only effective change management can provide.
- Managers taking on the broader roles
As change accelerates, more organisations are expecting managers and employees to become educated in change management practises.
Managers’ ability to guide employees through transitions empathically is no longer merely a “nice to have” skill, but assigned change managers are expected to handle every aspect of every large-scale initiative.
Change-related requirements are already appearing in job postings for management positions. More businesses & management colleges are beginning to invest in coaching and skill-building for current leaders in this field.
3. Humanising the element of change
Companies are beginning to view change management as a desirable activity rather than a critical component for effectively implementing or adapting to changes.
This desire to assist employees in managing change can encourage investments that go above and beyond the bare minimum, including tools, people, and processes to address employees’ emotional needs as well as what they require to do their jobs.
4. Developing a data-driven mindset
Organisational initiatives are becoming more data-driven. Historically, data collection for management has included surveys and much more.
Managers now have a plethora of other options at their disposal, including
- Intranet polls with a single question
- Employee engagement mobile apps
- Social media, specifically for the communication with affected customers
- Internal social platforms
- Evolving communication approaches
The changing workforce necessitates greater transparency, a greater focus on brand relevance, and more direct communication about the company’s values and mission.
Ways for Staying Ahead of Industry Trends
- Subscribe to email lists
- Make use of training and webinars.
- Follow your competitors on social media.
- Find friends from the industry with whom you can regularly communicate.
- Subscribe to an industry publication.
- Monitor industry exports on all platforms.
You have to remember that new trends in your industry will be discussed regularly.
If you want to be perceived as an efficient management professional leader, you should participate in those conversations and share your experiences with popular tools and topics.
