The Strategic Acceleration TiPS team visited Armstrong Watson’s offices 6th of March in Carlisle, where a workgroup on Navigating Cultural Change in Technology was hosted. The speakers included Prof Tim Vorley, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University; Dr. Omar Abou Hamdan, Senior Lecturer in Leadership at Oxford Brookes University; and Stuart Bailey, Head of People Transformation at Curium Solutions.
Prof Vorley and Dr Abou Hamdan presented their work on champions developed for the Innovation & Research Caucus. Champions in technology adoption are key individuals who advocate for, support, and drive the successful adoption of new technologies within organisations. The group discussed existing examples of champions in our participant firms, with an emphasis on how champions embrace change and innovation. For the experts, being a champion goes beyond the role description – it is a mindset. Professional Service Forms should look at champions to leverage their influence, expertise, and enthusiasm, fostering engagement, reducing resistance towards technologies, and, ultimately, facilitating cultural change.
In the second part of the session, Stuart discussed aspects such as trust, communication, and change management, emphasising how different behavioural styles impact workplace dynamics. Participants explored how professionals, tech teams, and managers can adapt their communication styles to bridge gaps, ensuring smoother integration of new technologies and more effective change management. The group applied the CODE model to understand people’s behavioural styles.
The Strategic Acceleration team keeps working with the participating firms, contributing to their adoption journey. For more information, get in touch with Dr Hannah I. Tornow (htornow@brookes.ac.uk ), Dr Francisco Trincado-Munoz (ftrincado-munoz@brookes.ac.uk), or Hilary Smyth-Allen (hsmyth-allen@brookes.ac.uk ).