More than 250 chairmen, CEOs, and partners of a cross-section of leading local firms focused their thoughts on change and adaptability at Business Leaders Malta’s annual thought-provoking event last Friday.
Themed ‘Change your frequency’, the morning conference sought to prompt participants into thinking, having fun, and taking action as they considered advice on how best to deal with changein their businesses throughgood leadership and soundcommunication strategies.
Participants included representatives of hotel groups, financial advisers, IT and software providers, public relations firms, retailers, trainers, importers,manufacturers, and government officials.
Established in 2009, Business Leaders Malta is an alliance between training and development firm Jugs@Malta, recruiter Konnekt, and people development company Mdina Partnership. BLM said last Friday participation at this second event was double that of last year’s ‘Selection to perfection’ conference.
Motherwell Bridge, Melita, and Smart Technologies also collaborated in the organisation of the 2011 event.
Mdina Partnership managing director Steve Tarr kickstarted the programme in the Radisson Golden Sands’ Grand Ballroom by showcasing the 30-year-old D-R-E-C model – denial, resistance, exploration and commitment – the primary attitudes to change not dissimilar to stages identified in bereavement counselling. The ‘language tool’ was explained to help participants evaluate thesubsequent sessions.
Gasan Mamo managing director Albert Mamo, Medserv chairman Anthony Diacono, Playmobil Malta CEO Helga Ellul, 6pm CEO Ivan Bartolo, and Malta International Airport CEO Julian Jaeger discussed the evolution of their own organisations, success and failures in their change management, and leadership.
In a frank question-and-answer session led by Lou Bondi, they talked about achievement and hindsight, and had common messages to give. Change management held to be dealt with by all strata in organisations but leaders had to take the time to listen to their teams, let them challenge opinions and decisions before they were directed to proceed with implementing change strategies. In order for change to be embraced, people also had to be communicated with and allowed to make mistakes. Leaders themselves then had to start thinking of the challenges that lay further ahead.
“Change can be expensive, but procrastination far more,” 6pm’s Ivan Bartolo warned.
Of all the panel members, Mr Diacono probably experienced the most challenging week as Mediterranean oil and gas support company Medserv had to “significantly curtail” the activity of its considerable business in Libya in the escalating crisis. With increased air transport activity as a result of the Libyan situation, Mr Jaeger had much on his plate too.
“Change is something we live with everyday: We had always planned for such a scenario,” Mr Diacono said. “There were action plans in place. Medserv was the first company to evacuate its staff from Libya. This particular change – which we had no control over – has translated into opportunities. We have helped bring otherpeople out of Libya.”
In the following session, Steve O’Halloran of Adaptex, owned by Exemplas UK, an NGO of Hertfordshire University, directed the participants’ thoughts to their ability to change. Mr O’Halloran listed the three main reasons 70 per cent of change management programmes failed: organisations often lacked the right tools to undertake change, had team members who were stuck in their ways, and many failed to talk to the people directly involved in new processes.
Mr O’Halloran asked participants to quietly assess their own adaptability and that of their organisations. He listed internal and external factors that impacted a firm’s ability to change, including communication skills and new political or legal scenarios.
In between sessions, branding firm Brand Wagon screened three custom-created videos provoking participants into examining their brand’s values, and its recognition, inspirational attributes and how it sparked customers’ aspirations. The presentations also focused on the merits of increased brand presence online and in social media, and the opportunities presented by mobile applications.
Sue Cole, director of Guthrie andCole Ltd UK, identified the difference between change and transition and explained how change was the situation in which emotions played a fundamental role. Ms Cole highlighted the importance of leading by example, expressing a clear message, and balancing change with consistency by communicating with teams, listening to them, and engaging them.
“You cannot focus on the change,” she advised. “Be the change you want to see. Live and breathe your company’s values. Have a clear, shared vision. Meanwhile, never denigrate the past – your teams helped create that past and that is where you once wanted to be. Also, tell your people what will remain the same in the change process.”
Jugs@Malta director Gianni Zammit used his trademark light-heartedness to encourage participants to “change their rhythm” with some help from three members of world music band Tribali.
The ensuing team-building session saw empty 19-litre watercontainers distributed to participants to be used as drums. After sharing some very basic drumming skills, everyone practised four-bar rhythms before joining Tribali for an impromptu session.
Even the most inhibited and elegant participants were banging on their ‘drums’ in the noisy wrap-up to the event.