An agenda for Change, Part I was completed in late 2022 and dealt with the fundamentals of change. This paper, An agenda for Change Part II, deals with the model for change.
Successful implementation of any plan requires significant organisational change. With this in mind, we formed a high-powered Investment Organisation of Tomorrow working group, which in 2023 worked with this developing thesis:
- There is a paradigm shift about to happen in the industry, brought about by a widening of organisational purpose within it. The working group developed a vision of what this shift should look like
- This shift will require organisations to adopt a much more agile, substantive and socialised change model than has been the prior practice
- To do this requires a commitment to think through issues respecting all material systemic factors influencing investment industry outcomes. The thinking pursued by the working group made deeper and better connections between these systemic factors
The group’s main conclusions were:
- Multi-faceted change – change is multi-faceted being much more than just shifting mindsets, but in addition defining and actualising the pathway in the face of considerable friction.
- Change vision is crucial –investment organisations need to adapt internally at a speed and scale to match the accelerations taking place externally and in sync with the increasing uncertainty and complexity around them.
- Leadership of change – the leadership needed is holistic and strategic and premised on building a leadership coalition of board and executive stakeholders.
- Collaboration – AOs and AMs need to be collaborative organisations that value teamwork and inclusiveness and are effective and influential through various engagements and partnerships. Systems thinking is an essential feature of this shared philosophy.
More can be read about effective execution of transformational change in investment organisations in this paper, which also contains seven models for change.
Related pages
Research: Spotlight on Superteams
Research paper: An agenda for change
Research paper: The impact of culture on institutional investors
Research paper: The Power of Culture research paper
Event: Culture summit 2021
Video: Investment organisation of tomorrow summit
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