In this episode of Career Can Do, host Mary Ann Faremouth sits down with Lata Hamilton, the founder, and CEO of Passion Pioneers and the creator of leading successful change programs. Lata has worked with some of Australia’s biggest companies and developed her own style of inspiring change leadership. This episode delves into the importance of managing change, the role of technology, and how to become a changemaker.
Lata discusses the increasing role of technology in automating tasks and the subsequent shift towards people-focused roles and work. She believes that as more menial tasks are handled by technology, we will be able to improve the experiences of people and spend more time focusing on that. She explains that change management is about moving people from doing things in one way in an organization to doing things in a new way. This is achieved through communications, training, and business readiness. “Change management is all about the people,” Lata explains. “…people need to be taken on the journey and that the people can actually be the ones that make or break the change.”
Change management used to be a very methodical, sequential process that could be planned out well in advance. However, the fast pace of change in recent years, especially due to COVID, has made it necessary for change management to be more flexible and adaptive. Lata emphasizes the need for change management to add value quickly and inspire teams and leaders from the inside out to accept, engage with, and move forward into the future.
Lata and Mary Ann discuss the value of building connections and relationships across teams and organizations. They believe that these cross-functional relationships and conversations are essential for understanding the impacts of change across the organization. Lata remarks that change managers are like matchmakers, connecting people from different projects or teams that might not be directly related to the change process but are crucial for the overall success of the organization. She encourages listeners to build their own confidence and sense of self-worth to future-proof their careers. She wants you to embrace change, lead it, and be at the forefront of it. Anyone can be a leader in their own right and people will follow those who are willing to accept and lead change.
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