We’re all tired of hearing it: these are unprecedented times. It’s a phrase that has lost its meaning yet still carries the weight of disruption, uncertainty, and the deep feeling that the ground keeps shifting beneath us.
Markets are in flux. Policies are evolving. Teams are stretched thin. What was true six months ago might not apply today, and the strategies that got you this far might not carry you the rest of the way.
At SEI, we’ve walked alongside clients through moments like this — different in their details, but similar in their stakes. What we’ve learned across more than 30 years of navigating disruption is this: when uncertainty is the constant, the strongest move is to lean on partnership. Not just for answers, but for perspective. For presence. For people who can help carry the weight and move forward with you.
The New Rules of Engagement
Many client conversations right now start with the same unspoken question: Are we the only ones feeling this? The answer is a resounding no.
Across industries — particularly in healthcare, manufacturing, and education — leaders are being asked to make critical decisions with half the information and none of the certainty. Strategic plans are being rewritten in real time. Teams are operating in triage mode. Many organizations are caught somewhere between action and paralysis.
But we’re also seeing something else emerge: a collective determination to adapt, a rekindled focus on values, and a readiness to ask for or offer help.
That tension between disruption and determination is showing up across the workforce. According to PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, 62% of employees say they’ve experienced more change at work in the past year than in the previous 12 months, and 44% admit they don’t understand the reasons behind those changes. In an environment this volatile, it’s not just strategy that matters. It’s clarity, communication, and shared trust.
Signals in the Noise: What the Market Is Telling Us
You don’t need another chart telling you that uncertainty is high. But here’s what’s worth listening to:
- Global regulatory complexity is rising. New policies are reshaping the rules of engagement across borders. For example, the European Union’s recently updated Product Liability Directive expands liability to digital products like software and AI, meaning companies can now be held accountable for harm caused by these technologies, even without a physical component.
For U.S.-based businesses with global operations or digital products, changes like these raise the bar for compliance, documentation, and risk management. And because the EU often sets regulatory precedents that ripple outward, it’s not just a regional shift, it’s a signal of where policy is heading. - Workforce transformation is accelerating. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, 60% of employers expect broadening digital access to transform their business by 2030, with advancements in AI and information processing being particularly impactful.
As roles evolve and budgets tighten, organizations are under pressure to upskill employees, rethink how teams are structured, and align workforce planning with long-term strategy. Those who wait risk falling behind while those who act now are already building the muscle they’ll need for whatever comes next. - Institutional funding is declining. Healthcare and higher education institutions are facing significant shifts in how they’re funded and what they can realistically sustain. In early 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new policy capping indirect cost rates for research grants at 15%, a sharp reduction from previous averages that often exceeded 25% and, in some cases, reached 60%.
This change has the potential to impact more than $4 billion in annual research funding, with serious implications for workforce capacity, lab operations, and long-term innovation. Smaller and less-resourced institutions are expected to bear the brunt of the disruption, forcing difficult choices about what research can continue and who gets to do it.
Changes to Medicaid are leaving millions at risk of losing critical healthcare access, deepening health inequities and straining vulnerable communities.
What Resilience Really Looks Like
When the headlines feel heavy and the numbers point to risk, it’s easy to think the only option is to wait things out. But the most resilient organizations aren’t waiting. They’re moving carefully, intentionally, and with the right partners by their side.
Resilience isn’t about avoiding disruption, it’s about adapting to it. It’s the ability to respond without overreacting, to plan without panic, and to keep progress steady even when the future feels anything but.
At SEI, we’ve seen what this looks like in action.
Sometimes, that means helping a university optimize operations to protect student outcomes amid sweeping funding cuts. Other times, it’s supporting a hospital system in revamping its patient intake model to meet evolving care standards without burning out staff.
It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about moving forward, together.
What Business Leaders Need Now
Behind every operational shift, every strategic delay, every budget discussion — we’re hearing the same thing from leaders: We’re not sure what to do next, but we can’t afford to stand still.
Some are looking to stretch resources without sacrificing outcomes. Others are feeling the weight of stalled initiatives, frozen funding, or shifting stakeholder expectations. Many are simply trying to keep their teams aligned while the goalposts keep moving.
They’re asking:
- “How do we make smart choices when everything feels like a tradeoff?”
- “What’s worth investing in right now and what can wait?”
- “How do we move forward without burning out the people who are already carrying too much?”
Sound similar to the conversations you’re having?
Recognizing Not Every Challenge Has a Business Solution
Some challenges don’t call for an org redesign or a new analytics dashboard. Sometimes, leaders just need someone in their corner. Someone to ask the hard questions with.
That’s why SEI is reaffirming its commitment to showing up, whether the need is strategic, emotional, or somewhere in between.
We believe in:
- Sharing what we know, without a pitch attached
- Making thoughtful connections between people who can help each other
- Being a steady presence when things feel anything but sturdy
If all we do is offer a new perspective, connect you with a resource, or help you catch your breath, we still consider that a win.
Partners Built for the Unknown
While the challenges we face today are unique, the need for clarity in complexity is not. Volatility has never been a stranger to our work at SEI, and some of our proudest partnerships were forged in moments of massive change.
For example, we partnered with a coalition of health systems, academic institutions, and technology leaders who shared a powerful goal to define and promote the ethical use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
As their momentum grew, so did their need for structure — and SEI stepped in to help turn vision into action. We led the business planning workstreams that ultimately transformed the initiative into a sustainable, standalone nonprofit. From governance frameworks and product strategy to financial modeling and tiered pricing design, our team helped blueprint the future of an organization built to lead in uncertain territory.
Today, that nonprofit has launched multiple products, secured funding, and positioned itself as a global authority in the ethical application of AI.
Why does that matter now?
Because the work of navigating complexity isn’t new to us. We’ve been building the muscles that matter — collaboration, clarity, and creative problem-solving — for decades. And we’re ready to use them to support people no matter whatever challenge comes next.
Turning Disruption into Direction
Whether we’re advising local teams or global organizations, we lead with a simple principle: meet people where they are, then help them move forward.
Here’s how we’re supporting clients through today’s complex challenges:
Navigating Tariffs and Trade Policy Shifts
We help companies mitigate inventory movement risk and financial impact through:
- Strategic sourcing tactics
- Customs trade & compliance program participation
- Duty engineering and cost optimization
- Global market mapping and improved supply chain visibility through data & analytics
Stretching Resources in Healthcare and Higher Ed
When funding tightens, precision matters. We support:
- Universities in optimizing operations, investing in digital transformation, and protecting student outcomes
- Healthcare organizations in improving revenue cycle management, streamlining care delivery, driving sustainable change, and understanding changing regulations
Mitigating Risk and Building for the Future
In volatile conditions, our clients look to us for:
- Scenario planning and resilience strategy
- Compliance roadmaps that drive (not delay) growth
- Cybersecurity expertise to protect from threats or vulnerabilities
Identifying New Ways to Leverage Technology
When innovation is the best path forward, we offer:
- Digital innovation that aligns with long-term priorities, not short-term trends
- AI solutions and expertise on the appropriate infrastructure
- Tech guidance at the forefront of what’s possible
SEI: A Partner, A Resource, A Strategic Constant
We’re not here to tell you that the road ahead will be simple. But we’ve been down enough uncertain paths to know that complexity doesn’t have to mean chaos.
At SEI, we don’t just show up for our clients — we show up for our communities, our colleagues, and the causes that matter. We volunteer, we listen, and we lead because we believe that doing good work starts with being good people. But make no mistake: behind that heart is deep expertise. We’ve spent decades guiding organizations through complexity with precision, hands-on expertise, and a steady hand. So, whether you’re navigating uncertainty or chasing new opportunities, we’re here with the experience to back you and the values to walk beside you.
Not with a one-size-fits-all solution. Not with a hard pitch.
Just with the kind of support that adapts to the moment and helps you move forward, no matter what that looks like.
