BUSINESS COLUMN
Businesss Column Brought to you Nedbank
The 5 Waves of Change
Threat or Opportunity
Alan Robinson BVSC MRCVS DMS, Director, Vet Dynamics UK Ltd
During this article, I would like to share with you my
thoughts and concerns about the 5 major waves of
change due to affect our profession.
Well, you might say, there’s always been change – so
what’s new? Yes, waves of change of various intensity
have come and gone – and we’ve survived. What is
happening this time is unprecedented and on a scale
NEVER seen before. The 5 waves I will be talking about
are converging into the ‘Perfect Storm’ of change that
is going to be either a profound threat to many, OR
a profound opportunity for others. Which of these
applies to you, will depend on whether you have a
ring-fenced buffer, elevation, or a place of safety you
can maintain above the coming changes. The 5 waves
are not discrete. They will mix and merge as one giant
tsunami of change. There are essentially 3 external
mega-trends and 2 seismic internal trends.
Wave 1: The Economy – what is it going to do over
the next 5 years?
We have seen the volatility of the Dot Com, Global
Financial Meltdown and the current mega boom. Add
to this the current Geo-political cycle of Brexit, Trump,
ISIS, Syria, Egypt and the EU – something has to give.
So what does this mean for you and your business?
Wave 2: The Society - this wave is closer to home as
a significant inflection point in world demographics.
generation; the largest, most influential, most
consumptive generation ever – ‘the pig moving
through the python’. Transitioning into their legacy
phase – what will that be? They are being replaced
as clients and employees by Generation X - the ‘lost’
generation and the Millennials - the ‘I don’t want that’
generation. What does this mean as a fundamental
shift in world view and human needs? Personally,
commercially and as communities?
Wave 3: The Infrastructure - is a duo of changes
within our professional infrastructure.
They are Corporatisation and Commoditisation.
No one really knows what these changes will mean
however they will have an impact on:
• Employment
• Career paths
• The division of clinical and management roles
• Skill levels and polarisation
• Consumer choice
There is a feeling that this will suppress the intrinsic
motivators of entrepreneurial spirit that have, up to
now driven vets and vet businesses to build quality
clinical care, client experience, financial success and
team performance. Are we actually now driving
business models that are swapping purpose for profit
– and people for processes?
Wave 4: The Competition - with the above comes the
The moving out of the post-war Baby Boom
Issue 02 | MAY 2019 | 11