Whatever your politics may be, Brexit has doubtless shaken up your business – and your people – a little bit in these past weeks. The water cooler chat is now less about Sky’s latest Scandi drama, and more about ‘What does the future hold for us?’.
But, whether delighted by the result, or gutted, Brexit offers all business managers across the UK an opportunity for a positive shake-up they might not yet have spotted. And it’s all to do with ISO 9001:2015.
This revised ISO standard seeks concrete evidence that top management levels are actively involved in implementing their business Quality Management System, or QMS. For some previously ‘hands-off’ managers it may be hard to change old habits, or find a way to connect with the QMS. But the UK’s surprise decision to leave the EU presents a compelling reason for all managers to step up to the plate.
Some execs will already have drafted plans for Brexit, many will not have thought it would happen and carried on as normal. Regardless of where they are in drafting, new company objectives throughout the UK will be developed based on changing market conditions, a less certain economic environment, new legislative and regulatory frameworks over time, changing labour sources and the possible need to find new markets.
Top management can show leadership and direction to calm a concerned workforce that all is in hand, and that they’ve thought of everything. That starts with prompt, calm and structured communications to their people. And it should be followed up with actions that demonstrate how they aim to maximise opportunities and minimise risk to the business.
What is key is that, not only will these actions provide the robust business management needed to reassure employees and give them new direction, but revised company objectives will provide a platform to drive the future operational needs of the business. And perhaps equally importantly, these actions will also provide concrete evidence that business managers are fulfilling the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.
It can be annoying during times like these to hear trite one-liners such as ‘with change comes opportunity’.
