5 Tips for Building an Agile Organization


5 Tips for Building an Agile Organization

Creating an agile organization is often easier said than done. Several factors have to be addressed, and cooperation from the workforce is paramount to the success of your strategy. Agility is the ability to adjust swiftly to industrial changes and technological advancements. Achieving it should be in your managerial checklist regardless of the size of the company you run. Read on for six simple tips to create an agile organization and remain competitive in your niche:

1.Consult experts

Since organizational agility isn’t a straightforward concept for most managers, the use of specialized third-party organizations to create agility strategies isn’t uncommon. You might want to try it yourself. Companies such as Innovation Ecosystem are staffed with individuals who have the skill and experience to pick out internal impediments that even the most eagle-eyed manager may not see. This makes them incredibly vital, even if just as plan reviewers. However, for the best results, you might want to involve their expertise in every stage of your plans.

2.Understand your problems

You can only create a solution if you are well conversant with the problem. Ask yourself questions about what you want to be changed, why you want it changed, what value you look to create, what new challenges your plan is likely to yield, and what the competition is doing. Once you have a clear picture of the journey ahead of you and everything seems viable, you can then think of getting down to executing your plans.

3.Share your vision

Even the most perfect plan can fail if the people it’s supposed to affect don’t know the first thing about its origin and perceived end goal. Your team should know not only what you have in mind but also where you got it from. Additionally, each employee should be educated on their role and, if possible, given some incentive. Before sharing your vision, ensure your strategy is laid down in the simplest and most straightforward fashion, has clearly defined milestones, and comes with a clear-cut timeline.

4.Welcome suggestions

Managers are charged with thinking up solutions and passing the final word to respective employees for implementation. However, for a strategy meant to affect an entire organization or change basic norms within the workplace, it is best to ensure everyone is involved in tweaking and perfecting the plans in question. Do away with one-way communication, and ensure every suggestion is taken into consideration.

5.Start measuring results immediately

Everything is clearer and way simpler in hindsight. That is not to say you wait until the expiry of your timeline to evaluate your strategy. Start paying attention as soon as the implementation phase is underway and use your statistics to modify the blueprint as you go. You might also want to share the results with your workforce, so weaknesses can be acknowledged and addressed while it’s still manageable.

Endnote

Organizational agility is not something you achieve overnight. If anything, it is a never-ending process that might evolve into a program that barely contains elements from the initial plan. For that reason, it is best to begin with the obvious things and let the details reveal themselves when they have to.