Our antenna is picking up some interesting signals for 2024

As 2023 draws to a close we thought we’d share some of the important themes that we’re detecting in our conversations with our clients. These are themes that we believe will help define the thoughts and efforts of leadership teams in 2024.

The first is the rather oft-used concept of collaboration. In the pursuit of embedding collaboration as a business-as-usual practice, our discussions have delved into the nuanced aspects of fostering a collaborative culture, beyond the organisational level. Collaboration is evolving into a sophisticated and interconnected web between entities. This collaborative economy could hold the key to unlocking a heightened competitive advantage, emphasising the notion that collective synergies and shared resources can propel businesses forward.

The second theme we see continuing to emerge is that of engagement and retention strategies. Despite record levels of immigration, the war for talent continues and keeping good people is more important than ever before. And, importantly, we need to look at intergenerational differences. If young people are not interested in a gold watch, what does appeal to them?

Another theme we have detected is that of accountability. As workplace norms change, leaders must understand the frontier of change. Accountability and the broader ESG agenda mean leadership teams must be changing their organisations before circumstances change them.

The recent blow-up at OpenAI reminds us that AI is not going to fade away. Indeed, it will move further and further to the centre of organisations, and it will be imperative that leadership teams understand it. AI is not IT. So don’t think it belongs in the bunker.

The considerations ahead are multifaceted, presenting leadership teams with a myriad of challenges. However, these challenges are precisely the type that find optimal solutions through the amalgamation of collective wisdom.

We are building a lovely little library of short, sharp articles that draw on the incredible expertise of the ECI Partners team. So, if you’re looking for material to help sharpen the saw over the break, keep us in mind and feel free to poke around.

Spare a thought for those hard at work at the North Pole.

Finally, management at Santa Inc. is nothing short of impressive. As the rest of the world feels the strain of supply chain challenges and ever-increasing complexity, Santa’s sleigh is being loaded on schedule, the entire team is in sync, and the reindeer are willingly engaged, chaffing at the bit. Perhaps they can teach us something about esprit de corps and we can add that to 2024 as well.

Right now, despite the conflicts and troubles around the world, we all have a lot to be thankful for and to look forward to. So, until 2024 arrives, we at ECI Partners wish you all a safe, happy and relaxing break.

To connect with our executive coaching please contact us here.