Companies that respond and adapt to change direct themselves toward success, while those operating on inertia tend to fall short of their goals. When it’s time to shift gears to meet changing demands, to rise above the new competition, to adjust to industry regulations and keep pace with the vicissitudes of technology, how agile is your company? If your level of agility leaves room for improvement, you are not alone.
Organizational Agility Transformation
A recent McKinsey Global Survey addressed organizational agility. Findings indicate organizational agility ranks high among the strategic priorities for businesses across all industries.
Consider how quickly your company reconfigures its strategies, structure, teams, business processes and technologies to adapt to changing conditions. Agile units perform better, especially if your company is working within volatile or uncertain markets.
Agility vs Stability
Agile organizations are stable organizations, the study shows. Change, in other words, needn’t throw organizations off balance. Bureaucracy stands as the greatest barrier to organizational agility and stability. Red tape is not a structural advantage.
On the other end of the spectrum, startup-style companies struggle to scale. They successfully negotiate change, but are often not satisfied with their rate of growth and overall stability. Their organizational muscles are flexible, but not strong – the opposite of bureaucracy.
Flexibility and Strength
For agile performance, condition your business to be both strong and flexible. Flexibility prevents injury during sudden or jarring movements, such as disruptive technologies or game-changing business practices. Strength supports the weight of your organization and allows it to handle stress without pain. Your teams need both types of training.
Venture Up has a range of ways to your teams improve agility, with interactive programs and sample situations facing your industry, or company itself. Partnering with Venture Up over the long term can keep your teams flexible while staying on. Learn more about how we build teams and contact us to start planning.
To read more about the survey findings and view charts, please read the full report.