2016: MBASkool.com wrote about the Characteristics of an Agile Organisation. They defined an ‘agile organisation’ as ‘the one that is quick in responding to changes in the marketplace or environment.’
2018: Mckinsey.com wrote about ‘The Five Trademarks of Agile Organisations.’ They highlighted how such organisations add velocity and adaptability to stability, creating a critical source of competitive advantage in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) conditions.
Becoming Agile is not a Big Bang and requires top-down
support to meet existing bottom-up initiatives and
eagerness… Agility does not happen overnight, leaders should take sufficient time to transform their organisations harnessing the already existing knowledge and initiatives across the organisation.
The Covid-19 pandemic was a defining moment for the global economic future, exposing its vulnerabilities to diseases and pandemics. We have observed how agile organisations learn rapidly, transform their businesses and deliver valuable products and/or services to meet the customers’ needs. Undeniably, some big innovations often require a different way of thinking, a mindset shift.
How could any organisation transform themselves quickly to be agile? I suggest that our leaders lead by example and adopt the following mindset shifts from
- Scarcity to Abundance – Wealth is not always about money. Make your people awesome by increasing their capability. Awesome people are inspirational; belief in their ability to create and change your current reality.
- Limited to Unlimited – Limiting thinking and beliefs result in micromanaging. We end up limiting our achievements and losing our talents.
- Competition to Excellence – Excellence is a quality that keeps you on top with your people; competition keeps you on top of people.
- Management to Relationship is like focusing in the NOW vs focusing in the FUTURE
Agile is an attitude, not a technique with boundaries. An attitude has no boundaries, so we wouldn’t ask ‘can I use agile here,’ but rather ‘how would I act in the agile way here,’ or ‘how agile can we be here?’