Is there even such a thing as BAU anymore?

In the first episode of our new series of Change Makers, Adam Evans sat down with Rachel Quinn, a senior transformation leader, to talk about the changing pace and shape of change, resourcing, and change fatigue.

During Rachel’s career, she has worked at major organisations, such as Marks & Spencer, Ascential and Currys, delivering large-scale transformation programmes and leading large teams.

Below, you can watch the full conversation, or read the highlights.

What do we cover?

1. Change doesn’t stop 

Rachel starts the conversation with a big observation: change used to be a defined programme with a start and an end. Now it’s constant and overlapping, to the point where she questions whether business as usual still exists. Even processes that were once fixed, like annual performance reviews, are now in a permanent state of test-and-learn. The implication for change teams is significant – the old model of neatly-governed, prioritised portfolios doesn’t reflect how work happens today. 

2. Resourcing isn’t one-size-fits-all 

Rachel (and Adam!) have seen a lot of change to org structures around transformation and delivery over the past 8-10 years. Organisations centralising to one big portfolio, then decentralising specialist resource out into the business, the centralising again as something new comes up. Rather than chasing a fixed structure, she frames it as an ongoing set of questions to ask of any team:  

• What needs to be permanent headcount? 
• What’s better served by specialist contractors who support specific parts of a programme? 
• What can be delivered by operational teams as part of their day job, without needing to be trained project managers?  

Blending all three, rather than relying on one, is what she’s found works best. 

3. Great hires don’t guarantee successful change 

Using the analogy of a chef, Rachel argues that hiring a brilliant change person is only half the job. Without the right “kitchen” around them (sponsorship, aligned leadership, removed roadblocks), even the best hire will struggle. Adam and Rachel also discuss change fatigue, arging it’s less about the volume of change, and more about whether people trust that the promised change will actually happen.  

Watch the full conversation above, or visit our YouTube channel to catch up on series one.