Creating the Agile organization

Becoming Agile

Agile organizations recognize patterns of changing information and trends, and respond to those changes quickly and effectively. They ensure that staff have the necessary skills and tools to thrive in an era of digital transformation. They are skilled in the art of adaptive execution, one of six things digital leaders must do well to create a thriving 21st century organization.

But agility poses challenges for organizations, including:

• Changing from hierarchical and controlling to flat and collaborative
• Overcoming the myth that “Agile is fragile” and realizing that being Agile is necessary to compete
• Changing leadership from command-and-control to a combination of top-down and bottom-up
• Identifying the departments and functions that need to be Agile and those that, of necessity, are less Agile

Organizations that overcome the challenges of Agile and succeed tend to display several common characteristics:

• Culture of collaboration and learning
• Streamlined processes
• Classroom training and learning by doing
• Strong focus on addressing changing customer demands
• Free-flowing information — including results, measures and trends — for learning and taking action

As with everything Agile, it’s best to start by experimenting. Empower a small group of people to operate a suitably complex program of work in an Agile way. (Agile works best as complexity and ambiguity rise.) Share the successes and failures across the organization, compounding what's been learned and reinforcing experimentation. Build more successes around what works.

Download the "Creating the Agile organization" white paper to learn about: 

• Agile as a survival skill for 21st century organizations
• How one size does not fit all
• How to determine your Agile “fit”
• 6 characteristics of an Agile organization
• How to get started (hint: Start small and experiment)