4 Key Strategy Management Trends for 2022 and Beyond

This decade started with a bang. 2020 brought the first in a series of lockdowns and shutdowns, and in 2022 we’re still feeling the aftershocks in business. The good news is that disruption always brings change. This should be seen as a positive. We are in a moment of opportunity.

The turbulence that the pandemic has brought has given us a new level of expertise. We’ve learned more about how to stay agile, rapidly transform our businesses, and grow at a time of immense challenge. As we move forward, we can take these lessons and ensure that our goals, objectives and procedures are right for the new reality this decade is set to bring.

Here, we look at global trends in strategy management that are riding on the back of the pandemic and bringing change. These trends are going to drive thinking not just this year, but over the remainder of the decade. Read on for valuable insights that you can use to shape your business. Plus, learn how to build the right skill sets amongst your workforce.

1. Empowered, change-oriented company culture

You may be ready to embrace changes in the next few years, but what if your team isn’t? It’s vital that you nurture flexibility and open-mindedness within your company.

Leading businesses are choosing to challenge mindsets and ease their colleagues out of their comfort zones so that everyone is ready to adopt change and move forward. This must be backed up with support, however, and a strong, positive company culture is at the heart of this.

Well-being initiatives will be crucial to fostering positive relationships with and amongst your colleagues. Remember too that employee needs and wants have been changing for a while, helped along by the pandemic. Whilst big salaries may have been a big draw before, the workforce is increasingly prioritising quality of life. Flexible working and opportunities to be a part of something exciting are a big part of this (see the next point for more on this). Make sure you do all you can to make your workforce feel both supported and empowered.

What is needed to get behind this trend?

• Leadership styles that champion change
• Understanding of which well-being strategies inspire and motivate
• Knowledge of how to use employee insights to help build trust and engagement
• Strategies to adapt or realign company culture.

2. Team-centric strategic planning

Top down, elite management styles are dying out. In the future, organisations will be moving towards a more team-centric style of strategic planning, incorporating all stakeholders and those from every level of the organization.

In contrast to the tradition of working in functional silos, an open ecosystem is adopted. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to fuel creativity and innovation.

What is needed to get behind this trend?

• Inclusive and agile leadership
• The ability to create a more open organization
• Expertise in change management
• The ability to create a modern workplace that both employs and empowers every generation to gain different insights
• The ability to foster a feeling of psychological safety in the workplace to maximise creative productivity.

3. AI and data driven strategies

This is the decade that artificial intelligence (AI) and data will become well and truly mainstream. If it isn’t already, your business model must be AI-driven to stay relevant and competitive. Even small businesses can generate vast amounts of usable data each day. It is clear that this data must be leveraged for decision-making and strategic purposes, whatever the size of your business.

AI can provide a comprehensive picture of your business, at every level and at any time. Real-time reports can be easily generated, enabling project and strategy management personnel to make decisions based on sound, up-to-date evidence without the risk of human error. AI enables you to deep dive into a new understanding of your business. If your business is not up to speed with AI, you are losing your competitive edge.

What is needed to get behind this trend?

• Completion of company-wide data transformation at every level
• Knowledge of available technologies
• Understanding how to best leverage data tools
• Proactive management styles

4. Disruptive strategies

The chances are high that something is set to come along and overturn your industry. Probably soon. Don’t let it catch you on the backfoot. You need to not only be anticipating and watching out for disruptive forces, but you also need to manage the risks. That considered, it’s far less risky to make an attempt at being the disrupting influence than to sit back and wait for it to happen to you.

Disruptive strategies will continue to disturb and uproot all industries this decade. Why? Because the speed of technological advancement is making the previously inconceivable possible. You need to harness the power of emerging technologies to disrupt the traditional business models in your industry. Disruptive strategies will be crucial to staying agile and ahead of the competition.

What is needed to get behind this trend?

• Evaluation and analysis of disruptive influences
• Operation of both offensive and defensive disruptive strategies
• Comprehensive analysis of customer data to find emerging pain points and thus the opportunity to solve them
• A finger on the pulse for technology that might revolutionise your industry
• Building better capabilities for innovation

Be prepared

The above trends are going to be the driving force in business strategy for some time to come. It makes sense to prime your workforce to get behind them. Looking at the bullet points above, have you identified gaps in your skill set? What do you need to know more about to stay competitive? There’s a lot to learn here, but there are plenty of experts out there willing and ready to help.

Gathering insights from leading strategists can help you develop your own strategy that will boost agility, innovation and future-proof your business. Attending strategy management virtual events is the most time- and cost-effective way to get up to date. You can hear and learn from leading business strategists from around the world without traveling away. This means you can put your new expertise to good use the moment you log off.