Change and impermanency is the common denominator of all phenomena and processes in nature, which include human activities as well. Heraclitus, the 5^th Century BC Greek philosopher, has said that no man can step into the same river twice. This statement from Heraclitus means that the world constantly changes and that no two situations are exactly the same. Just as water flows in a river, one cannot touch the exact same water twice when one steps into a river. This view has been affirmed by Lord Buddha around the same period.

In fact, the challenge of change can be considered as the key driver in all the human endeavours across history and the main motivating factor of business strategies that have evolved through the four industrial revolutions spanning form the mid-18^th century to the present day of mass digitalisation. The four principles of change management at any level – be it personal, family, workplace, company or a country – are:

• Understand the change
• Plan the change
• Implement the change
• Communicate the change

Some of the significant contributors to the management of change which resulted in the emergence of new approaches and working models that became popular during the past 50 years can be enumerated as:

• Lewin’s Change Management Model
• McKinsey 7S Model.
• Kotler’s Change Management Theory
• Nudge Theory
• ADKAR Theory
• Bridge’s Transition Model
• Kubler-Ross Five Stage Model

There are many schools of thought around managing organisational change, but there's one thing that's clear. Change managers need to structure their organisational changes and need to avoid 'ad hoc' change management. They need to look at organisational change from a programmatic perspective, leverage subject matter experts around the impacts of change and look at the ‘change beyond the change’. 

Corporate change has always been associated with leadership, and Jack Welch, the master of transformational leadership, has once quoted that “good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

Notwithstanding the tremendous utility value of these approaches, I have witnessed the beginning, growth, decline and final exit of some great business empires in Sri Lanka, which could not survive up to the third generation. Similarly, there are exemplary business organisations, the roots of which can be traced back in history to a single person who started with a few rupees and later developed in to corporate giants that are thriving through the third generation. It is therefore apparent that there are no hard and fast norms or standard ground rules, but an emerging factor is the importance of the people at all levels, despite the benefits of automation and digitalisation. Success and failure episodes are abundant throughout the world and corporate graveyards are cluttered with casualties.

Change and business strategy are always closely interlinked without clear boundaries. The ‘Art of War’ – which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu (around 5^th century BC) – remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare and has influenced both Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, lifestyles and beyond.

The Covid-19 outbreak, which started around two years ago and developed in to a devastating pandemic, has brought about years of change in the way companies in all sectors and regions do business. The entire world scenario which we currently witness is reminiscent of the opening paragraph of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
 

The Coronavirus has rapidly made ‘business as usual’ a phrase from the distant past. There is no ‘usual’ in this uncertain time. But organisations that outmanoeuvre uncertainty create a resilience they can count on, irrespective of the changes that come

. We’ve all changed the way we operate during the Covid-19 crisis. Some changes were forced on us, while others represent the height of innovation in a crisis. There’s been a reset of the workforce and work itself, a reset of the employer/employee relationship and a reset of the business ecosystem. For most of them, the business impact of the pandemic has been negative; for some, positive. 

The pandemic may have wiped our strategy slate clean (or at least it feels that way), but we have also garnered invaluable experience. Now it’s time to bring together our executive team and use those lessons to reconfigure the business and operating models for a new reality. It appears that in addition to the conventional 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), with respect to resource consumption and sustainability, a set of new 3Rs, namely respond, recover and renew, has emerged during the Covid-19 crisis.

As we shift from response to recovery, the key for senior leaders is to make strategic decisions that will lead them to a renewed future state, however paralysing the uncertain outlook may seem. We can borrow a leaf from the strategy and tactics of the Covid-19 virus itself in learning how to adapt for survival by adopting new paradigms, namely producing more virulent strains such as the Delta variety.

In the absence of a 100 percent effective vaccine or cure for Covid-19, any rebound in business activity could easily be followed by another round of response, recover, renew; so the imperative is to absorb lessons learned quickly and build sustainable changes into business and operating models.

But first, we need to determine exactly where and how the crisis has stretched and broken our existing models, and where the risks and opportunities lie as a result. When talking about risks and opportunities, I cannot help going back to the basics of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) requirements which expect a company to evaluate the external and internal issues (Clause 4.1), expectations of interested parties (4.2), determining the risks and opportunities (6.1) and planning for change (6.2). In some of the companies that I happen to audit, the priority given to these is at a minimum or no priority given at all apart from stagnant records which do not show any objective evidence of monitoring and review.

However, one important factor we have to consider is that everyone – irrespective of whether it is an individual, family unit, organisation or a country – is on various stages of their unique learning curves, and the strategic horizons have drastically become shorter. Business and strategy planning is no longer an elite task shrouded with mystery and confined to the corporate managers only in their air conditioned rooms but a task to be accomplished in consultation with those who are finally going to implement the strategies and plans. While the Japanese Genba (the actual place) approach is more than 50 years old, it is mostly confined to operational levels, which is rather unfortunate. This crisis has created an opportunity to reset some of our goals and ambitions; it’s time to ask: “As we recover from this crisis, do we want to be different, and if so, how?”

One can see that many companies are in the recovery mode at the moment and trying to do damage control based on profit motive, which is understandable. The entire social, cultural and ethical models and paradigms have changed drastically, and the entrepreneurs need to realise that they are no longer operating in the pre-Covid era. Drastic changes have occurred in the entire supply and value chains with changing customer preferences.

The following quote attributed to many, including Eleanor Roosevelt, a former First Lady of United States, is appropriate to be cited here:

“There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened.” 

Change and impermanency is a fact of life, more so today, and if we do not change, change will change us. After all, it was the mathematical genius of the 20^th Century, Albert Einstein, who once observed that:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

We can’t keep doing the same thing every day and expect different results. In other words, we can’t keep doing the same workout routine and expect to look differently. In order for our life to change, we must change – to the degree that we change our actions and our thinking, to the degree that our life will change.

The author a Management Counselor from Sri Lanka

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

The J&K Bank presents JK Tyre Rally of Himalayas 2026, a premier Cross Country Rally, was flagged off from Manali on 26 September. Organised by Himalayan Xtreme Motorsports and Adventure X Fusion Tribe, the sixth edition achieved a significant milestone by entering the Zanskar region for the first time. The ceremonial start occurred at 5:00 PM at Dev Lok, 15th Mile, near Span Resort, Manali. Bhuvneshwar Gaur, MLA Manali, served as Chief Guest, joined by V P S. Jasrotia, Deputy General Manager of Jammu & Kashmir Bank, as Guest of Honour alongside JK Tyre officials. The rally is supported by J&K Bank as Presenting Sponsor, JK Tyre as Title Sponsor, Ladakh Tourism as Official Sponsor and Impulse and Liqui Moly as Partners.

The competition features 140 participants across Moto, Extreme and TSD categories over five days in the formidable Himalayas. The route traverses Kaza, Jispa, Padum and Pensi La before concluding in Padum, Zanskar, on 30 September. The Moto category includes 80 riders, among them one female rider. The Extreme category comprises 35 participants, including two female drivers and five Army teams. The TSD category has 24 competitors, four of whom are female, testing precision, timing and navigation. This diverse field includes professionals, private entrants, women and Army teams.

This edition serves as a tribute to Hari Singh, the legendary Gypsy King and five-time National Rally Champion, whose legacy inspires competitors. The event's defining feature is its inaugural entry into Zanskar, introducing high-altitude terrain, remote landscapes, long competitive sections and shifting Himalayan conditions. From Kaza, competitors progress to Jispa and into Zanskar, tackling Padum and Pensi La before returning to Padum. Preparation, navigation, endurance and reliability become critical. Since its 2021 inception, the rally has grown into a demanding platform testing riders and drivers against Himalayan challenges.

JK Tyre, synonymous with Indian motorsport, continues its legacy rooted in rallying, embodying endurance and adventure. For J&K Bank, supporting the event reflects nearly nine decades of commitment to regional development and showcases tourism potential. The Department of Tourism, UT Ladakh, partners as a sponsor to position Zanskar as a premier adventure tourism destination, highlighting landscapes, heritage and driving routes to national and international audiences.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Tegeta Green Planet representatives met with Institute of Design students on 22 September for a practical workshop and discussion. The session focused on proper management of specific waste streams, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles and recycling processes, with particular emphasis on how these concepts intersect with the design discipline. Students gained insight into the complete journey such waste undertakes, from initial collection through to final treatment, with used tyre recycling receiving notable attention as an example of converting discarded materials into valuable new resources.

Rubber samples of varying sizes and colours, all produced from recycled tyres, were displayed during the workshop. These physical materials illustrated the direct connection between tyre recycling and design applications. Participants explored potential uses for recycled tyre materials in product development and examined how design contributes to transforming waste into items with both functional purpose and visual identity, creating new value in the process.

A practical assignment concluded the meeting, requiring students to develop a product concept utilising recycled tyre material and establish its complete identity. This task enables participants to merge their design expertise with authentic environmental challenges while discovering how discarded materials can serve as foundations for new product creation.

Tegeta Green Planet regards education and environmental awareness as essential components of its mission. The organisation regularly partners with academic institutions, disseminating information to young people about specific waste management, circular economy models and resource reuse. Through such collaborations with the Institute of Design, students receive opportunities to combine environmental engagement with hands-on creative experience.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Goodyear is all set for the showdown at Fuji Speedway this weekend for the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, equipping all 18 LMGT3 cars with the Goodyear Racing Eagle tyres . The Japanese venue ranks among the calendar’s fastest and most demanding circuits.

Its permanent-track straight measures 1.475 km, the longest of the season. That extended run from Turn 16 to Turn 1 allows front tyres to cool substantially before subsequent corners impose heavy lateral and longitudinal loads on the rear tyres, making temperature management critical over the six-hour race.

Every LMGT3 entrant will use the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium compound, the same specification employed in the opening five rounds. It was engineered for a broad range of circuits and temperatures, suiting Fuji’s famously changeable conditions. Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tyres remain available should rain arrive.

The Medium compound could enable single-stint strategies, prioritising performance from each set over multi-stint approaches, with Fuji’s relatively low wear potentially permitting extended runs when safety car or full course yellow periods make that advantageous. Tyre selection and pit timing gain added importance given swiftly shifting weather. Goodyear Racing Eagles also compete this weekend at Kansas Speedway in NASCAR, Rockingham Dragway in NHRA and Silverstone in the British Touring Car Championship.

Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Program Manager, said, “Fuji’s track surface is relatively smooth, meaning overall wear is comparatively low. This also means that managing heat and bringing the tyres up to temperature can be more difficult, particularly at the start of a stint. Teams need to get the tyres into their operating window quickly, and the quick warm-up characteristics of the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium will help them do that.

“The weather can be a major factor at Fuji, so teams need to be prepared to react quickly. The wide operating window of the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium gives drivers confidence across changing temperatures, while the Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet provides a solution should track running become affected by rain.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

TyreSafe has entered a new partnership with South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, reinforcing joint efforts to prevent road casualties and enhance safety throughout the county. The fire and rescue service becomes part of a widening group of UK fire services collaborating with TyreSafe to highlight the dangers linked to illegal and poorly maintained tyres.

Under the arrangement, both organisations will pool expertise, resources and engagement opportunities to promote tyre safety among South Yorkshire road users. This work will be integrated into broader road safety initiatives. The partnership also builds on South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s existing role within the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, where education, training and publicity are central to reducing casualties.

The collaboration comes amid a difficult road safety picture. In 2024, a total of 43 people died and 748 were seriously injured in South Yorkshire collisions, amounting to 791 killed or seriously injured casualties. Although this was lower than the 841 recorded in 2023, the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership acknowledges substantial progress is still needed to reach its Vision Zero goal.

Road traffic collisions remain a major operational demand for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, whose community risk work involves joint efforts to cut incident numbers and severity. Serious and fatal crashes occur on major routes linking Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley, and on higher-speed rural roads. Tyres are vital to the Safe System approach, as defects can impair braking, steering and control, raising the risk of serious incidents.

Stuart Lovatt, Chairman, TyreSafe, said, “Fire and rescue services see the consequences of serious road collisions first-hand. Their experience gives them a unique perspective on the importance of prevention, and that makes South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue an incredibly valuable partner for TyreSafe. South Yorkshire has a strong and established road safety partnership, with organisations already working together towards Vision Zero. We want to complement that work by making tyre safety a more visible part of the conversation around safer vehicles and safer roads. We’re delighted to welcome South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to the growing number of fire and rescue services partnering with TyreSafe. By combining their frontline experience and local reach with our specialist knowledge of tyre safety, we have an opportunity to reach more drivers with simple, practical advice that could help prevent a serious collision.”

Robert Horne, Prevention & Intervention Officer for Barnsley, said, “We are pleased to be partnering with TyreSafe to strengthen the road safety work we already undertake with our partners across South Yorkshire. Our firefighters regularly attend road traffic collisions and see the devastating impact they can have on individuals, families and communities. Prevention is therefore a vital part of our role, and helping people understand the simple steps they can take to reduce risk is an important part of that work. Tyres are a critical safety component on every vehicle, yet they can easily be overlooked. Working with TyreSafe will help us reinforce that message and provide road users with practical information they can use to make sure their vehicles are safe and roadworthy.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!