Why better communication, smarter tech, and stronger training are rising up the business agenda

Few business leaders would describe the past five years as anything other than intensely demanding. Since 2020, organisations have had to contend with economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, shifting workplace expectations and growing operational risk. It is no surprise, then, that many businesses and the decision-makers within them are increasingly rethinking how they are run.

For many firms, that process is well underway, so Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) commissioned an independent survey to shed some light on where those efforts have been focused.

Surveying 500 senior decision-makers in UK businesses, the study reveals not only what organisations have done to improve management and operations in recent years, but also where the business agenda is likely to shift next.

Getting the basics right, even as technology improves

According to our findings, 45% of respondents said their organisation had improved collaboration and communication between teams or departments over the past three years. That made it the most common action businesses had taken, ahead of investing in new technology and automation (40%) and enhancing training programmes for complexity and risk management (35%).

It is revealing that, for all the excitement around digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI), businesses still recognise that strong performance depends on people being able to work well together. Given how the workplace has evolved, this is understandable.

After all, the move away from the traditional five-day office-based working week has fundamentally changed how organisations operate. Hybrid and remote working have brought flexibility to our working lives, but they have also made collaboration more complex. Communication that once happened organically in an office environment now often has to be designed more deliberately via calls or dedicated in-person days.

As such, businesses have recognised teams need clearer structures, sharper alignment and better habits if they are to work effectively across functions, locations and time zones. In that context, it makes sense that improving communication has risen to the top of the priority list. Businesses know that when collaboration breaks down, performance often follows.

The digital push will only intensify

The data also shows that technology investment has been a major focus. Two in five businesses (40%) said they had invested in new technology and automation in recent years, underlining just how widespread digital transformation has already become.

But what’s clear is that the trend goes further than replacing outdated systems. It reflects a broader shift in how businesses are trying to build resilience, efficiency and competitive advantage in the age of automation and AI.

We can expect that momentum to build further through 2026 and beyond. If anything, the next few years will bring an even sharper focus on AI adoption, process automation and digitally enabled decision-making. Businesses understand that falling behind technologically can quickly become a competitive problem.

Tech alone is not a strategy

But there is a catch – if organisations want digital transformation to succeed, they cannot treat it as the ultimate answer to all the problems they might be facing.

New systems, no matter how sophisticated, do not deliver value on their own. They only make a meaningful difference when leaders and teams know how to use them well, understand where they fit strategically and are confident enough to manage the change they bring.

Our research shows that just 35% of organisations have enhanced training programmes for complexity and risk management, which suggests that many are still trying to drive long-term change with one foot on the accelerator and the other off it. Investment in technology is important, but it will only take a business so far if the people expected to lead and implement that change are not being upskilled at the same time.

That is especially true at leadership level. Successful digital transformation depends on leaders who can do more than simply approve budgets or sign off new systems. They need to understand implementation, ask the right questions, manage risk, support their teams and make sound judgements about where technology can genuinely add value.

Leaders know they need more support

This issue becomes even clearer when viewed alongside wider findings from the AMBS research. Other data from the study shows that 55% of senior leaders worry about remaining relevant and competent as the business world evolves. Meanwhile, the most popular area in which they said they wanted further training was understanding AI and how best to leverage it (40%).

That is a clear signal for employers. Leaders themselves are telling us that the challenge is not simply access to technology, but preparedness. There is an appetite for learning, and a recognition that traditional leadership experience alone is no longer enough in a world being reshaped by AI, automation and rising complexity.

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In other words, as businesses continue to invest in new technology, they need to ensure that their workforce is tech-confident from top to bottom.

The real priority for 2026

The lesson from this research is not that businesses have focused on the wrong things, it’s that they’re struggling to balance all the spinning plates that come with today’s business landscape.

Improving collaboration and communication (45%), investing in new technology and automation (40%) and strengthening training for complexity and risk management (35%) are all sensible responses to a more complex operating environment. The real question is whether each issue is getting the amount of attention it needs.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, it is reasonable to expect investment in AI and digital transformation to rise further. For many organisations, the drive for greater productivity and speed will make it unavoidable. But the businesses that benefit most from that investment will be those that match it with serious investment in people.

That means formal training, practical development and leadership education that helps senior decision-makers understand both the opportunities and the risks that come with technological change. It also means recognising that digital transformation is a people challenge, a strategic challenge and a technical exercise, all rolled into one.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that progress depends just as much on communication, capability and leadership as it does on software. Those that act on that insight will be better equipped for what comes next.