Business resilience used to mean having a solid plan and sticking to it. That’s no longer enough. Change moves so quickly today that most traditional change management models are outdated before they’re even applied. Chris King, Partner at 2Oaks Consulting, has spent the past two decades helping organizations in financial services, hospitality, utilities, and retail adapt to this new reality. He’s guided teams, large and small, across North America and around the world to stay nimble, focused, and resilient amid constant transformation.
Understanding Constant Business Change
Most companies, even those running under the “Proudly Agile” banner, still treat change like a project, something with specific timing and a clear destination. They plan, execute, and expect stability afterward. That’s not how the world works anymore. “Change is no longer linear. It’s layered and constant,” King says. New technologies emerge faster than teams can assess them. Regulations shift. Markets move unexpectedly and the emergence of AI has put it on steroids. “Gone are the days when change was episodic.” The companies that thrive today aren’t the ones with the flashiest strategy decks. They’re the ones that can move fast and keep moving. Across industries, King sees the same pattern. Organizations keep using outdated change management frameworks to solve new problems, and it rarely works. “We see too many companies managing change with dated methods, reacting late or applying rigid frameworks to fluid situations.” The solution isn’t complicated, but it does require a shift in mindset. “Adaptive change means embedding agility (not necessarily Agile) into your DNA,” King says. That means shorter cycles, broader ownership, and de-centralized decisions made by people who actually have the data, not executives three layers away from it.
Align Strategy With Technology – OR Just Risk Obsolescence
Everyone talks about digital transformation these days. Cloud solutions, AI tools, ERP upgrades. But King looks past the buzzwords. “Digital transformation is more than implementing a cloud solution, upgrading an ERP, or experimenting with AI,” he says. The real question is whether your technology actually supports what you’re trying to achieve as a business.
At 2Oaks, King and his partners help clients connect IT decisions to real business priorities such as customer experience, efficiency, and risk management. Whatever matters most to your organization should guide your technology choices. “This alignment builds resilience because your systems are designed to flex as your goals evolve,” King explains. Technology should move with you, not against you.
Change With People, Not To Them
This is where most big transformation projects fall apart. Leadership decides what needs to happen, consultants design the perfect solution, and then everyone acts surprised when no one wants to use it. King has seen it happen again and again. “Too often, change is done to teams instead of with them.” 2Oaks takes a different approach. “Co-creation is the key to sustainable change,” he says. Build solutions together with the people who will actually use them. It sounds simple, but most organizations skip this step entirely. The results speak for themselves across sectors like financial services, retail, utilities, and hospitality. “We’ve seen that true transformation happens when leadership empowers frontline teams and feedback loops are built into every level of the organization.” When people help design the change, they make it stick and help it evolve.
Plans are necessary. Every business needs them. But plans alone won’t prepare you for what’s coming. “To truly future-proof your enterprise, you need more than just plans. You need a culture that welcomes change, a strategy that integrates technology, and a team that’s empowered to lead from every level.” That’s a tall order for organizations built on traditional hierarchies, but the alternative is worse. Companies that can’t shift from constantly reacting to being genuinely resilient will always be playing catch-up. “If your organization is ready to move from reactive to resilient, we’re here to help,” King says. His final thought reframes the entire discussion. “Change isn’t your threat. It’s your greatest opportunity to lead.” The companies that understand that will stay ahead of everyone still treating change as something to survive instead of something to harness.
Connect with Chris King on LinkedIn or check out his business 20aks to explore practical strategies for building resilient, change-ready organizations.
