A RECENT McKinsey report outlines three forces reshaping organisations globally — technology and artificial intelligence (AI), economic and geopolitical disruption, and a changing workforce. These forces may appear less immediate to Pakistani business leaders, who already contend with volatile costs, uncertain demand, disrupted supply chains and regulatory uncertainty, amongst other existential issues.

With these new challenges, naturally, the question arises: how prepared are our organisations for change? It is a crucial question, but I believe a more fundamental one lies beneath; are Pakistani organisations ready to learn?

This shift in focus stems from my belief that organisations should prioritise building capability over simply adopting the latest technology or management ideas. Capability encompasses an organisation’s accumulated ability to achieve its purpose; making sound decisions, developing people, learning from experience and adapting to changing circumstances. Results are undoubtedly important — profit, growth, market share, impact and productivity — but they alone do not define good management.

The more important question is whether an organisation is becoming more capable of fulfilling its purpose. Are they making better decisions? Are their people developing? Does experience influence behaviour? Can they respond to environmental changes? And would they continue to perform even if their most senior leader were no longer present?

With new challenges, a fundamental question........

© Dawn