The times they are a changing

We are all aware of the unrelenting pace of change but every now and again a few items of essential truth combine, or occur close enough together to cause a pause to take stock of the situation. In the last few days two such moments have given me cause for thought. A review of a new book – Austerity Britain 1945-1951 – and the trailers for Andrew Marr’s forthcoming BBC series on the history of modern Britain both promised to provide a benchmark of how much change there has been in my lifetime. Nostalgia placed in context. But the other thing was a line in a news magazine from my former university about the conversion of what in my time had been the students union building, into a presentation suite and study facility where students could work quietly in groups. The closing sentence read, ‘The area brings a change in the strategic direction of the union with a move away from alcoholic provision towards allowing students an area where they can study and relax in an unlicensed area.’ This clearly is a monumental change from the heady days of student politics that held sway there in the late 1960s, a time when several of today’s cabinet ministers were rebellious student activists. The union largely existed for the bar, it was the primary source of income. Of course through work for our clients we had been aware of the changing use of university and school spaces as science and engineering facilities converted to performance spaces, but the news that alcoholic provision was no longer either a viable or required need was indeed surprising. And that is the point really, how often do businesses really reappraise what their customers need or do. It is too easy to become comfortable with client relationships and assume everything stays the same – it doesn’t.