Since the onset of Covid-19, many speak of the “new normal” however strategist Peter Hinnsen challenges this notion arguing that we should in fact refer to the “never normal” given that the global pandemic has forever altered how we do things in the workplace. Hinnsen goes on to state that competitive advantage should no longer be measured in terms of sustainability but rather on transience, challenging organisations to be bold on their vision but flexible on the details. This theory is supported by research conducted by McKinsey & Co who purport that future-ready companies are those who have clarity of purpose (and culture), operate with agility, and who enable growth through innovation, continuous learning, and harnessing the value from their diverse talent ecosystems. As many organisations realise the importance of tapping into the platform economy and flexible workforce, enabling remote or hybrid working, and monitoring performance on output/results rather than time, the shortcomings of their existing workforce structures and HR practices surface. At the heart of it, organisations that embrace agility understand the importance of balancing structure with flexibility. In HR, compliance drivers usually lead to rigid policies and procedures and yet, when considered holistically, can be utilised effectively to create opportunities to optimise performance – both business and individual, achieve transformation goals, and enable the attraction and retention of the best talent. Often the missing puzzle piece is fit-for-purpose organisational design (OD), supported by equipping the people in the business, specifically leaders - from first line management level, with the soft skills to enable resilience and adaptability to operate within a state of flux. I work with HR professionals across organisations - big & small - challenging their thinking on how to ensure their People strategies remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment. I love challenging the status quo, sparking new ideas, exploring, designing and delivering, fit-for-purpose strategies, training & coaching and get a thrill from seeing my clients succeed.