Managing change: Turning pressure into progress

The past year has been a testing one for the UK rural sector. For many landowners and rural businesses, it has become clear that maintaining the status quo is no longer an option.

Structural pressures – from inheritance tax reform and rising costs to increased regulation and climate change – are unlikely to disappear. Against this backdrop, resilience increasingly depends on the ability to adapt business models and make informed, strategic decisions.

Change, however, is rarely straightforward. While the need to evolve is widely acknowledged, the process itself can be challenging, particularly for family-run estates and long-established businesses where decisions can be emotive and are closely tied to identity and legacy. Re-examining past choices can feel personal, even if those decisions were entirely appropriate at the time they were made.

Although the language of change management can sound like corporate jargon, its relevance to rural businesses has never been greater. Many are highly adept at operational change: responding to adverse weather, adopting new grant-led schemes or investing in technology. What is often more difficult is stepping back to ask and address the strategic questions – why the business is structured as it is, what it is trying to achieve, and whether it remains fit for purpose in a changing world.

In fact, we have experienced a similar journey ourselves this year, approaching it as an opportunity for growth and development. Rather than shying away from challenging questions about our changing priorities and long-term vision, we’ve welcomed them as catalysts for meaningful transformation. We firmly believe that positive change is driven not only by our assets and outputs, but most importantly by our people.

Our commitment to a more collegiate way of working has helped us foster an environment where our team – over 200 talented experts across a network of 20 local offices – can truly flourish. Colleagues are more empowered, well-supported, and proud of their contributions, confident in their ability to deliver exceptional service to our clients and make a genuine difference every day.

For estates and landowners, the process will involve digging deep and being honest. Do you enjoy what you do and where you live? Where do you want the business to be in five- or ten-years’ time? Who are you doing this for? Is your existing business model aligned with those ambitions, or is there scope for a different approach?

One of the clearest lessons is that progress begins with actively listening. Engaging with family members, your teams, advisers and peers can provide valuable perspective and challenge established thinking. Those who test ideas early and remain open to informed debate are often best placed to navigate uncertainty.

While many external pressures remain beyond our control, our response to them is not. With clarity of purpose, good advice and a willingness to adapt, rural businesses can turn today’s challenges into a platform for long-term resilience and opportunity.

Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year.