Daily Archives: November 24, 2024

Game-changing trends every business leader needs to know for 2025

As we approach 2025, the corporate learning and development (L&D) landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift. Companies, particularly those ranked in the Fortune 500 Top 50 and high-growth sectors, are prioritising evolving L&D strategies that not only promote individual growth but also align with broader business objectives.At the recent “Moving Forward” event held by BTS Thailand, over 100 human resources and L&D leaders gathered to explore innovative strategies for starting 2025 with renewed momentum. Here are the key trends I shared and their strategic implications for business leaders:
1. Personalised learning paths to empower your workforce: The traditional approach to learning, often based on classroom workshops, is increasingly outdated. Many organisations still rely on a one-size-fits-all model, which limits the ability for employees to practise and apply new skills in meaningful ways.
Employees now seek personalised learning journeys that align with their individual career goals and aspirations. Rather than focusing solely on organisational objectives, the emphasis is shifting towards empowering employees to navigate their personal growth and bridge skill gaps. Companies that prioritise personalised learning increase employee engagement, loyalty and satisfaction, leading to lower turnover rates.
Next Moves for 2025: Invest in tailored learning paths that match both employee ambitions and organisational goals to foster a more motivated and future-ready workforce.
2. Structured mentorship programmes to build your leadership pipeline: With late-Gen X leaders nearing retirement, mentorship programmes have become more critical than ever. These programmes facilitate knowledge transfer while nurturing the next generation of leaders through structured mentor-mentee relationships. By training both mentors and mentees, organisations ensure the seamless sharing of knowledge and prepare emerging leaders to step confidently into leadership roles.
Next Moves for 2025: Implement formal mentorship training programmes to establish a strong leadership pipeline, ensuring future leadership continuity.
3. Digital literacy and AI training to equip teams for technological advancement: AI and digital tools are revolutionising business operations, and it’s essential for companies to prioritise digital literacy across their workforce. Training should not only focus on improving basic tech skills but also on harnessing AI for decision-making, productivity and data-driven strategies. Organisations are now carrying out assessments to gauge current digital proficiency and target areas for growth.
Next Moves for 2025: Incorporate digital literacy and AI training at every level of the organisation to improve productivity and position your company as a tech leader.
4. Soft skills revitalisation to strengthen core business interactions: As the demand for technical expertise grows, soft skills like communication, collaboration and emotional intelligence (EQ) are equally critical for business success. These skills enable better teamwork, resilience under pressure, and meaningful interaction in a fast-paced environment. In particular:

Communication: The era of long emails and drawn-out meetings is fading. Organisations are reimagining communication strategies to resonate with Gen Z and younger employees, favouring concise and impactful interactions.
Collaboration and teamwork: Amid the push for high performance, fostering teamwork ensures that speed and quality are maintained without silos hindering progress.
Emotional intelligence (EQ): Heightened stress and pressure have diminished EQ. Revitalising EQ training helps employees manage stress better and maintain composure in challenging situations.

Next Moves for 2025: Leaders should actively model and cultivate these skills within their teams by integrating soft skills training into daily practices, encouraging open communication, and reinforcing collaboration and emotional intelligence through real-time feedback and mentorship. This proactive approach will help build cohesive, agile and innovative teams.
5. Inclusive leadership training — Embrace diversity for better outcomes: There is no such thing and there should be no such thing as one-size-fits-all leadership development training. Leaders are trained to work effectively across generational and stylistic divides, fostering inclusivity and unity. The ability to lead with empathy and adaptability is vital in a diverse workforce, enabling leaders to harness varied experiences and perspectives.
Next Moves for 2025: Prioritise training that enhances empathy and adaptability, enabling leaders to confidently guide their teams. Develop a leadership approach that addresses the unique needs of each team member by fostering active listening, encouraging open dialogue, and appreciating diverse perspectives. By embracing this inclusive approach, you’ll drive innovation, enhance team cohesion and elevate your organisation’s reputation as an employer of choice.
6. Continuous feedback culture — Promote real-time improvement: Annual or semi-annual performance reviews are becoming obsolete. High-performance organisations now favour real-time feedback loops, akin to coaches on the sidelines during a game. This immediate approach boosts motivation, aligns actions with organisational goals, and promotes rapid course correction.
Next Moves for 2025: Assess whether your current feedback systems encourage ongoing dialogue and adaptability in a fast-paced business environment. Shift focus to real-time feedback, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and flexibility to ensure your teams remain aligned and agile in achieving business goals.
GLOBAL CORPORATE PRIORITIES
Beyond Learning & Development, leading global companies are aligning their entire strategies around the following focus areas:
Agility: Maintaining agility to swiftly respond to market needs and customer demands remains a top priority. Organisations are re-examining their understanding and application of agile methodologies.
Employee engagement: Sustained engagement hinges on transparent feedback and recognition. Structured, ongoing dialogue helps employees feel valued and prevents surprises during evaluations.
Diversity and inclusion: True diversity encompasses more than visible traits. Companies are fostering environments where varied personalities and ideas are appreciated and integrated, amplifying collective strengths.
Technology integration: Data-driven decision-making is becoming a norm, with technology and analytics informing problem-solving at every level.
Upskilling and development: Upskilling is paramount as job roles evolve. Clear benchmarks guide employees on their current skills and pathways to growth, ensuring roles like marketing and sales adapt to technological changes.
At BTS Thailand, we help organisations stay ahead of these trends through our 456 Smart Learning model, which ensures that learning directly ties to measurable business outcomes. This approach empowers leaders to turn L&D investments into strategic wins, driving both growth and performance.
As we move forward into 2025, it’s clear that while some trends may feel familiar, the context has shifted. Methods and approaches are evolving to meet the future needs of work. Organisations that embrace innovation, align learning with strategic objectives, and prioritise holistic growth will lead the way in the next era of business success.

Arinya Talerngsri, Local Partner & Managing Director at BTS Thailand (formerly SEAC), part of the BTS Group, a leading global strategy implementation firm, is passionate about revolutionising education and creating opportunities for Thais and people worldwide. Executives and organisations looking to collaborate or learn more about leadership development, talent development, succession planning and organisational transformation can contact her directly at [email protected] or visit her LinkedIn profile

‘Understanding foreign business partners crucial for efficient cross-border trade’

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – Bangladesh, the world business organization, hosted a day-long workshop on Trade Finance Legal Challenges and International Sanctions Regime & Requirements jointly with Moody’s and ICC United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dhaka on Saturday, 23 November 2024, at Renaissance Hotel, Gulshan Avenue, Dhaka.With the increase in international trade of Bangladesh, efficient cross-border trade will have notable implications for the country’s LDC graduation process. Therefore, understanding the foreign business partners is crucial.
Mahbubur Rahman, President, ICC Bangladesh made the remarks attending as a chief guest of a concluding session and certificate giving ceremony of a day-long workshop on “Trade Finance Legal Challenges and International Sanctions Regime & Requirements”, according to a media release. 
Mr. Mohamed Daoud, Director and Industry Practice Lead for Moody’s Financial Crime Compliance across the Middle East and India and Mr. Vincent O’Brien, Director, ICC UAE were present at the concluding session moderated by the ICC Bangladesh Secretary General Ataur Rahman.
Addressing the participants, ICCB President Mahbubur Rahman said the financing of international trade transactions plays a crucial role in facilitating global commerce.
However, it operates within a complex legal framework shaped by regulatory requirements, including sanctions, presenting significant challenges for financial institutions and businesses dealing with international trade.
ICCB President also said therefore, financial institutions and businesses must navigate a labyrinth of sanctions imposed by various jurisdictions.
These sanctions can target specific countries, entities, or individuals, and often differ between regions, leading to complexities in ensuring compliance, he said.
Emphasizing on the role of lending organizations, Mahbubur Rahman said Banks are obligated to conduct thorough due diligence to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. This involves verifying the identities of clients and understanding the nature of their business activities, which can be resource-intensive and legally complex.
ICCB President also highlighted the recent trades in the global economic and political arena.
He said the evolving geopolitical landscape that introduced new sanctions has increased the compliance burden on banks and businesses engaged in international trade.
To navigate these challenges, financial institutions and businesses should establish comprehensive policies, follow regulatory requirements and educate employees on the latest developments in sanctions laws and compliance obligations, said Mr Rahman.
With the increase in international trade of Bangladesh, efficient cross-border trade will have notable implications for the country’s LDC graduation process. Therefore, understanding the foreign business partners is crucial, he said. 
International Trade Finance landscape is also facing increasing risks due to geopolitical tensions and complex regulations, such as the new US & Allied sanctions regimes targeting specific jurisdictions. To effectively manage these risks and reduce the risk inherent to Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML), a connected risk and compliance approach to cross-border trading and finance is essential, according to the release. 
Some 106 participants from different government agencies including the Financial Institutions Division under the Ministry of Finance, banks, financial institutions and international agencies took part in the day-long event.
There were four sessions on different topics including modern trade finance, risk management, international sanctions, and TBML.
A similar workshop was also held in Chattogram on Sunday November 24, the release adds. 

QC, Oxford Business Group cooperate on ‘The Report: Qatar 2025’

Image Credits: Facebook@Qatar Chamber | Cropped by GBN The Qatar Chamber (QC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oxford Business Group (OBG) to cooperate with the release of the ‘Report: Qatar 2025’, which highlights Qatar’s economic landscape. The ‘Report: Qatar 2025 focuses on key topics such as economic diversification, expanding gas production, improving…

Fort Smith, Van Buren downtowns going big for Small Business Saturday

FORT SMITH — Cooler temperatures should make the atmosphere ideal for hot drinks and a celebration of local businesses Saturday in downtown Fort Smith.
The Fort Smith Downtown Business Association is partnering with Main Street Fort Smith for this year’s Small Business Saturday events. Small Business Saturday is held each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
In neighboring Van Buren, shoppers will get an early start with “Shop Small — Plaid Friday” on its historic Main Street.
On Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith, nonprofit development groups, business owners and community leaders invite shoppers to take advantage of everything from free beverages to choruses of Christmas songs to discounts on Small Business Saturday.
“It’s going to be a great way to have a family-friendly, fun event in our community to encourage (people) to shop locally,” said Amanda Hager, executive director of Main Street Fort Smith.
This is the first year that Main Street Fort Smith is helping bring the new Cocoa Crawl and tree lighting to Small Business Saturday downtown, Hager noted.
The goals of Main Street Fort Smith include support for business development, arts and culture, and special events, according to the nonprofit group’s website.
“We’re really just trying to make it as easy and accessible as possible to businesses and community members to engage with each other, and of course the hope is that you find something great as a Christmas or holiday gift,” Hager said.
COOPERATIVE EFFORT
The Fort Smith Downtown Business Association is partnering with Main Street Fort Smith for the evening’s events.
The association aims to boost economic development and cultural vitality downtown, according to its website.
Fort Smith’s planned events downtown for Small Business Saturday include:
2-5 p.m.: Cocoa Crawl with free hot cocoa, warm apple cider at participating businesses
5-6 p.m.: Northside and Southside High School choirs perform at Cisterna Park, 1001 Garrison Ave.
6 p.m.: Tree lighting at Cisterna Park
The first 100 people at Main Street Fort Smith’s office at 411 Garrison Ave. will receive a commemorative ceramic mug, Hager said, and all participating businesses will have disposable cups available for hot cocoa and warm cider.
“We’re really excited about it,” Hager said. “I think it’s just a perfect way to kick off the holidays. There are lots of other holiday things happening downtown.
“I think everybody’s just ready for the holidays,” she added.
Most of downtown Fort Smith falls within the community’s Entertainment District, allowing those age 21 and up to stroll from place to place while enjoying an adult beverage.
VAN BUREN STARTS EARLY
“Shop Small — Plaid Friday” from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday on Main Street gets Van Buren started early in putting the spotlight on local small businesses.
The diverse and creative spirits of local and independent businesses are the focus of Plaid Friday, according to organizers. The idea is for residents to wear plaid and shop locally on Van Buren’s historic Main Street.
Then, Small Business Saturday events will go from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., focused on Old Town Van Buren. The all-volunteer, nonprofit Old Town Merchants Association supports the local Small Business Saturday each year, said Joy Holman, vice president and events coordinator.
“We have over 30 merchants downtown that are open and participate,” she said.
Participating businesses include Whimsical Designs by Marcie, Main Street Threads Boutique, Main Street Mercantile, Serendipity Kids Boutique and Chapters on Main Bookstore & Coffee Shop.
Shoppers will find exclusive discounts and unique finds, including handmade crafts, boutique fashion and works by local artisans, organizers noted.
GROWING MOVEMENT
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Express founded Small Business Saturday in 2010 to boost local shops during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Since 2010, according to the SBA, shoppers have spent an estimated $201 billion at small businesses during Small Business Saturday, which follows the traditional Black Friday shopping for bigger retailers.
Last year alone, U.S. shoppers who focused on small businesses on this particular day spent about $17 billion, the SBA reported.

Tammy Mowaczynski of Muldrow takes her time selecting treats Friday at Garrison Goodies, 317 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith. Downtown merchants are gearing up for several events during Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Penny Weaver)