By Richard J. Mirabile, Ph.D., developer of Raising the Leadership Bar and the Accelerated Leadership Series
According to the U.S. CEO Outlook 2016 by KPMG, CEOs are worried, asking "Is what we are doing today going to be relevant tomorrow?" Mike Nolan, Vice Chair of Innovation & Enterprise Solutions at KPMG LLP, believes that it is possible to spot opportunities if you have a systematic approach to understanding disruption-whether from demographics, innovation or start-up activity. "If you can mine the signals of disruption early, then you can prioritize your investments to respond, and adapt your talent and business models to capitalize on it all," he adds. "And I think business leaders who harness those trends accurately will stand to be the big winners in the marketplace while others will inevitably fall behind."
These capabilities are the hallmarks of an agile organization. Said another way, agile organizations will be the ones best positioned to take advantage of opportunities, disruptive technologies and business models.
This is why having a systematic approach to understanding disruption is vital to stay ahead in today's business. Organizations are facing unprecedented levels of change, and the rate and frequency of changes will surely continue to rise. The models, practices and tools used in the past to enable and manage change are valuable, but they aren't enough to help organizations keep pace. To become agile, organizations will need to make fundamental changes in how they work - their systems, practices and culture.
What is Organizational Agility? The ability to connect accurate assessments of the external business landscape combined with an ability to see opportunities and challenges in order to make strategic turns and execute strategic re-direction/reinvention at high speed in ways that are timely, flexible and produce both value and measurable ROI.
Why is it so important? Organizations are systems and must adapt to their environments. Research shows that one of the critical factors for business success is an organization's ability to scan the external environment to anticipate and make the necessary changes required for survival. This implies making informed predictions about markets, economic trends, product opportunities, demographics and social changes. By paying attention to the external environment and anticipating the future, a business can adapt its products and services to fit not just the current market, but the future market.
What's the benefit to my organization in strengthening our agility? An agile organization brings together people, processes and systems to execute the organization's mission and strategies. It's a critical competency for any organization facing accelerating change and increased competition. Being agile allows organizations to build into everyday practices an ability to nimbly respond to changing circumstances and take advantage of emerging opportunities. The level of fluidity and flexibility needed will depend on the quantity and speed of changes to which your organization must respond.
How does an organization develop or strengthen its agility? Ultimately, developing or strengthening organizational agility requires proficiency with respect to five distinct competencies. They are:
- Strategic Anticipation
- Value-Based Decision Making
- Focus & Alignment
- Organizational Learning
- Disruptive Innovation
How can we help? When taken in combination, these five competencies become the foundation for building true organizational agility. In response to this need, Dr. Mirabile has carefully designed several workshops designed to provide the highest degree of impact in the shortest period of time for both emerging and seasoned leaders. Each course is between 2- 4 hours in length and can be customized based on the particular set of circumstances, culture, priorities and tactical or strategic objectives. Whether you have existing programs or are designing one from the ground up, Torchiana has several leadership and management training topics that can supplement or build the framework to improve organizational impact. If you are interested in learning more, contact Lynne Saiz or Kristi Rocha (contact info below).
