Open Master Class: Change Management

The modern professional environment requires HSE and industrial safety specialists to have not only deep technical knowledge but also high adaptability. The transition from predictable models to the so-called BANI world (brittle, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible) dictates new rules for working with risks and personnel. In this open master class, Tatiana Borisova, Regional Head of HSE and Business Continuity at Novartis, analyzes the key aspects of change management and the transformation of leadership qualities.

Environment Evolution: Why Classical Critical Thinking is No Longer Enough

For a long time, critical thinking remained the basis for managerial decision-making: a specialist analyzed the situation, compared alternatives, and made a choice. However, the speaker emphasizes that in conditions of non-linearity and high speed of change, this approach begins to fail. Critical thinking requires time for deep analysis, which is simply not available in critical situations. Moreover, in an unpredictable environment, it is not always possible to clearly define all available alternatives.

For successful adaptation, it is necessary to develop lateral (unconventional) thinking. This is the ability to use both hemispheres of the brain to quickly generate several solutions to a single problem at once. Such an approach allows you not to get hung up on a single scenario and to promptly rebuild processes if the initial plan turned out to be ineffective.

Emotional Intelligence as the Foundation of Change Management

The development of cognitive skills and reaction speed is inextricably linked to understanding the human factor. The presentation details the thesis that any structural or process changes in a company inevitably face personnel resistance and anxiety.

Change management is impossible without a leader's developed emotional intelligence. Empathy, the ability to build cross-functional communications, and properly convey information to employees help reduce the level of tension. The speaker shows that the successful integration of new safety rules depends on how capable the manager is of involving the team in the transformation process, rather than simply handing down a directive from above.

Practical Steps: From Awareness to Implementation

Change management at the level of each individual specialist is built on several basic principles formulated during the practical work of the master class participants:

• Awareness and audit of the current situation. Before implementing innovations, it is necessary to clearly understand their feasibility and assess potential risks to existing processes.
• Continuous competence improvement. The ability to work with new information sources and filter data becomes a critical skill for an HSE specialist.
• Building communication. Changes should not happen in a vacuum. Involving related departments and collecting feedback from line personnel ensure the viability of new procedures.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How have leadership requirements transformed during the transition to the BANI world?
• Why can standard critical thinking algorithms slow down processes in conditions of uncertainty?
• How does lateral thinking help find non-standard solutions for HSE tasks?
• What role does emotional intelligence play in implementing new safety standards in production?
• What specific steps should you start with to manage changes in your workplace?