The year 2025 marked a significant change for me. The swap from business owner to freelance consultant has been liberating.
The freedom to work directly with small, passionate teams, the ones actually doing the heavy lifting, reminded me why I got into consulting all those years ago.
No boardroom theatre, no death-by-PowerPoint strategy sessions. Just rolling up sleeves and making things happen.
Speaking of making things happen, I’ve spent the year writing about the messy, brilliant reality of change management. Not the textbook version where everything follows a neat process diagram, but the real stuff. Where people matter more than methodologies, and a well-timed conversation beats a perfectly formatted Gantt chart every time.
So here we are at year’s end, and I’ve been reflecting on what actually resonated with readers (and clients) over the past twelve months.
Five themes kept surfacing in conversations, projects, and “why isn’t this working?” moments. Consider these the greatest hits, the lessons that stuck, the ones worth carrying into 2026.
Vision, Passion and Action – The Three-Legged Stool
We’ve all seen it: brilliant strategies that somehow never leave the PowerPoint deck. The missing ingredients? Vision that people can actually see themselves in, passion that makes them want to get out of bed for it, and action that proves we’re serious.
Remove any one leg and the whole thing topples. The organisations that nailed change this year had all three firing on all cylinders. The ones that struggled? Usually missing at least one.
Leadership Styles – Conductor vs Soloist
The heroic leader swooping in to save the day makes for great cinema but rubbish change management. The best leaders I’ve worked with this year knew when to conduct and let the orchestra play, and when to step in and pick up an instrument.
They built the conditions for success rather than trying to be everywhere at once. Turns out, collaboration really does beat heroics (something we all know but keep forgetting.)
The Governance Sweet Spot – Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold
Too much governance and innovation suffocates under the weight of approval forms and unnecessary process. Too little and you’ve got chaos masquerading as agility.
The magic happens in the middle. Just enough structure to keep things accountable, just enough flexibility to let teams breathe. Think of it as Goldilocks for grown-ups, with fewer bears and more risk registers.
Hybrid Planning – Why Choose When You Can Have Both?
The waterfall vs agile debate is so 2015. This year proved that blending both approaches isn’t cheating, it’s common sense.
Use waterfall where you need predictability (budgets, compliance, external dependencies). Use agile where you need to learn and adapt. The projects that thrived weren’t religious about methodology; they were pragmatic about outcomes.
Continuous Improvement – Change Isn’t a Destination
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: change doesn’t end. The organisations treating it as a one-off project with a neat bow on top?
They’re already falling behind.
Continuous improvement isn’t a nice-to-have anymore. It’s survival. Build the muscle for constant adaptation and you’ll stay relevant. Treat change as an event and you’ll be scrambling to catch up every eighteen months.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Next year’s shaping up to be interesting. Operational resilience, AI in professional services, the continued evolution of hybrid working, there’s certainly plenty to navigate.
I’m looking forward to diving into these topics and sharing practical insights that actually help rather than just sound clever.
Let’s Have Coffee in January
Whether you’re wrestling with a stubborn change programme, exploring how AI might reshape your operations, or simply want to sense-check your 2026 plans, let’s talk.
I’m blocking out time in January for virtual (or actual) coffee chats. No sales pitch, no obligation, just a proper conversation about the challenges you’re facing and how we might tackle them together.
Drop me a line and we’ll find a time that works. First round’s on me. (Metaphorically speaking for the virtual ones, obviously.)
🎄 Wishing You a Restful Break and an Exciting 2026 🎄
Thank you for reading, sharing, and engaging with these newsletters throughout the year. It genuinely means a lot. May your festive season involve minimal inbox stress, maximum relaxation, and only the acceptable amount of mince pies.
See you in the New Year. Refreshed, recharged, and ready for whatever comes next.
Paul Every
Assurify Consulting, Jersey
I specialise in project assurance, governance, PMO and ‘technology enabled change’; helping clients obtain greater value from their investments in projects, programme, portfolios and technology.
My clients choose to work with me because I am a pragmatist; I recommend and deliver solutions that can be easily implemented. You also get what you see – I will define what you need, then it will be me who is on site helping you deliver your change.
Leave a Reply