All change at the top

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there has been an astonishing number of changes of leadership of late in some of our most significant local institutions.

We’ll have new Vice-Chancellors at both our Universities as well as a new permanent Principal at Bath College. There will be a new face at the helm of Wessex Water, the Chief Executive of the hugely important St John’s Hospital is retiring and there are new people in charge of departments in the Council, including the vital Planning service.

A change at the top of any business is always an exciting and interesting time. The new boss will be keen to put their own stamp on the organisation but they will be wise to ensure they have a complete grasp of what is already happening and to value long standing members of staff to ensure the baby and the bathwater stay in contact.

The challenges of leadership have never been greater. Technology is moving at pace and who knows how AI will impact the workplace in the next few years. Meanwhile post Covid changes mean that flexible working is now embedded in most office based jobs. That means the leader will need to establish a system that is acceptable to staff whilst also delivering for the business. They will also have to take a view on how much office space they require. At one stage it looked as though there would be a lot of downsizing, but more recently we are hearing stories of companies keeping existing space as more people are persuaded back into the office.

A change in national Government will also be the source of some uncertainty as the new administration properly beds in. For example, our educational institutions can’t be sure of what the future looks like. Questions are already being raised about levels of charging students and who knows where funding priorities will land ?

Water companies are coming under huge scrutiny, whilst our local authority is facing the possible prospect of somehow having to double the number of new homes being built in the district over the next 20 years. That figure is likely to be negotiated down, but there’s a clear signal that pressure will be on.

New leaders with innovative ideas coming into already successful organisations must be a winning recipe and the whole community and local economy will be the beneficiaries.

If you’d like to find out more about the Bath Chamber of Commerce or the Initiative in B&NES please contact us on 01225 460 655 or info@bathchamber.co.uk.