There is not a shortage of management challenges - but it has always been thus! In this article in our first newsletter in a new year, we raise the questions:

• Are dealing with reaction and ambiguity two of the most significant challenges as we enter 2004?
• If so, what are the key skills and attributes that are required?

Have we seen a fundamental change in business culture and practise over the last few years? I believe so. So how am I qualified to have a view, and I stress it is only a view?

Firstly, as a training consultant I work with a number of organisations operating across a spectrum of market sectors. In 2003 I worked with clients in manufacturing, professional service firms, banking, insurance, information technology, retail, government and the charities sector.

Secondly, I am at the age where the grey hair is starting to appear, so have around a 30 year perspective of business practise and trends.

I will start by offering some definitions, not mine but from a dictionary:

Ambiguity - "double meaning or lack of clarity"

Reaction - "undergo some change"

Question: are we living in a business climate that is characterised by ambiguity and reaction?

Let us start with ambiguity

How easy is it to describe the boundaries between virtual project teams and the line organisation?

Let us move on to reaction

This environment is not necessarily bad - the questions are:

• How different is the environment now compared to the past? Of course this depends on your perspective and points of reference.
• What new skills, or more of the existing skills are required to be effective in this business environment?
• How do people acquire these new skills?

These are big questions- which will not be answered in detail in this brief article!

However to provide a view on two questions:

What are some of the core skills and attributes that people need to be effective in this environment?

• To be able to operate and make decisions with incomplete information
• An ability to appreciate context and see the big picture
• Management of own time and be able to prioritise
• Comfortable with a range of different and often complex relationships
• Ability to communicate and influence with no position power
• Be able to be objective and prepared to be influenced
• Assess opportunity and risk

What are the implications for those involved in providing learning and development?

• Set piece generic training courses are less and less relevant
• Be able to key into the business and ask the questions "what are the business drivers" and "what are the compelling reasons?"
• A need to be creative in developing learning programmes incorporating a range of learning mechanisms
• Remembering that learning and development needs to add value to the business as well as the development of the people in the business