A change will do you good

Anyone who has contributed to the production of this issue will know that at four o’clock the Friday before going to press, I packed all my worldly possessions (and the office food stash) into a large crate and said goodbye to our old office. While the geographical distance to my new home isn’t significant – in fact, just two floors up in the same building – the difference in my day-to-day routine has been astonishing.

Any knowledge or change manager will understand how difficult it can be to persuade people who have worked in the same teams or job functions for a certain amount of time, to try something different. And following a restructure of our entire publishing division it was with some sadness – but a huge amount of excitement – that I left my former stable of publications to take on responsibility for a newly created team, operating in an entirely different industry sector. Suffice to say that if I peer over the top of my computer I can still see the editors that I used to work with so, again, this may sound somewhat melodramatic but there is a point to all this.

To say that I am now on a very steep learning curve would be an understatement – and it’s fantastic. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders; no doubt having shaken off a few cobwebs and thrown myself with great abandon into something completely new! It’s difficult, yes, but the atmosphere that has been created by moving a few people around has been incredible.

Individuals who have never spoken to each other before, let alone worked in close proximity have been bouncing ideas around and relishing the opportunity to learn from each other – there’s a real buzz and lots of happy faces. Not that I’m saying we all sat in our corners feeling sorry for ourselves and ignoring each other before, of course. But a new office and the ‘bringing together’ of core teams has breathed some fresh air into the business and opened the door to more innovative ways of working – we’ve got a bit more ‘va va voom’!

Environmental Resources Management has no doubt noticed a similar effect with the work it has been doing over the past 12 months, on its future strategy development. Rather than steaming ahead with decisions that would have an impact on its staff some time down the line, it has actively encouraged them to become involved in the process. The knowledge management aspect here has been the provision of a multitude of communication channels within which staff can share their ideas and insights – and speak directly to senior level management. And more importantly, that information is then considered during the strategic decision-making phase. Bonnie Cheuk talks about the entire process in detail in the cover feature on page 14. I’m sure that you will find it as inspiring as I did.

Here’s to a innovative and productive March, and I hope that you enjoy the rest of this issue.