Do You See What I See?
If you feel like the summer disappeared like mist among sunshine, you are not alone. We’re living through rapid change, unpredictable markets, and technology that’s reshaping the way we do business at lightning speed.
While I haven’t been posting much on LinkedIn, I’ve been rolling up my sleeves and connecting with leaders across the industry. Here are three top trends I’m seeing:
Focus on what matters. Clear insights create real growth.
Doing more, with even less than before: Organizations are under pressure to increase output with fewer resources. It’s not new, but the pace is accelerating. With marketing budgets and headcount shrinking, many companies are turning to generative AI to offload tactical tasks and free up people for more strategic work.
But here’s the catch: AI is a tool, not a replacement. Like any tool, its impact depends on how you use it. Invest in learning when and how to apply AI, and just as importantly, when not to.
Partnerships as a Force-Multiplier: For many companies, partner and alliance programs are now responsible for a significant share of revenue. That’s been the goal since inception. As teams shrink, many programs are shifting to “self-service” models for emerging partners. Ironically, those are the very partners who need strategic support the most. Cutting back here risks long-term growth.
So what to do? Build programs and outsource resources to offer these emerging partners the strategic frameworks to be successful within your partner program.
Build it and promote it: New technology is flooding the market daily, but selling the solution is only half the battle. Adoption is where the real value kicks in for businesses. Research shows only 8% of companies struggle with the technical side of implementation, while 75% cite organizational change as the bigger challenge.
So what does this mean for you? Customer projects rarely fail because the tech doesn’t work. They struggle because end-users never fully adopt it. Too often, sales efforts end at implementation, leaving clients to figure out adoption on their own. To demonstrate ROI faster, build an adoption plan alongside your solution so customers and end-users can realize the benefits faster.
The pace of change isn’t slowing down, but that’s not a reason to hold back. By sharpening how we use tools like AI, strengthening partner ecosystems, and planning for adoption, not just implementation, we can turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s growth. The companies that adapt to changes now will be the ones leading the way in 2026 and beyond.