The ability to adapt quickly to changes in market dynamics and customer demands is essential for any business. Although often associated with tech giants, agility is important for all types of enterprises, regardless of industry. Whether an organization is dealing with economic fluctuations or embracing digital transformations, the ability to respond quickly remains crucial.
Here, 16 Forbes Business Council members share tips to help leaders create dynamic and resilient organizational structures.
1. Showcase Agile Practices In The Business
Exemplify the benefits of agile practices and quick responses in one project, process or function of the business. Then use that as an example to validate the gains and improvements agility can generate. This will kickstart adaptation and help create a culture that appreciates the importance of a quick response. – Ferris Ayar, Astute Group LLC
2. Have A Long-Term Vision And Goals
I failed a thousand times with beautiful, holistic plans before I realized the importance of having a long-term strategic vision and goals. In rapidly changing environments, recognize that detailed plans beyond the immediate day may become obsolete. This is why it’s essential to focus on daily adaptability and responsiveness to effectively navigate evolving circumstances. – Maximilian Kramer, Kramer & Matt GmbH
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3. Decrease Cycle And Deployment Release Times
When building and scaling technology companies, you must understand the pace in which changing market conditions and competitive landscapes can occur. You must be agile and ready to make pivots accordingly. To stay agile, look at the statistics within your sales organization of cycle times and deployment release times and find ways to safely decrease these times. Then, stay agile! – Christian Brown, Glewee
4. Practice Early Adoption
Agility is not the preserve of the tech sector, though it is often due to technology that agility becomes essential. Early adoption has always been my mantra. For example, when NFTs first appeared in the art world, we acted early to determine their relevance to our sector, understand how we needed to adapt to accommodate the change and opportunity they were going to bring and identify what our role would be. – Pearl Lam, Pearl Lam Galleries
5. Embrace The Opportunity
Embrace change as an opportunity. Change is inevitable, and leaders who resist it will fall behind. As Jack Welch said, “Willingness to change is a strength, even if it means plunging part of the company into total confusion for a while.” Change fosters innovation, learning and collaboration while also empowering teams to create more value for customers and stakeholders. – Daniel Farrar, Assembly Software
6. Emphasize Contextual Awareness
One of the best ways to position your team for agility is to emphasize contextual awareness. Instill the habit of taking into account the people, circumstances and outcomes involved and how they are evolving over time. If your team is able to keep a pulse on change, your organization will always be ready to make informed and effective decisions. – Kent Ingle, Southeastern University
7. Commend Your Team’s Efforts
Don’t fault your team when they make mistakes from trying something new. Don’t be too hard on expecting results from the get-go. Instead, commend the effort they’ve put into experimentation and give support. Being agile and proactive is to be a risk taker. Making blunders will be a constructive part of it, as opposed to sitting in the comforts of the status quo and potentially falling behind. – Sean Shea, ViB
8. Form A Cross-Functional Team
Try implementing a cross-functional team structure. By having diverse skill sets within the same team, you enable quicker decision making and problem-solving, reducing the time spent on inter-departmental communication and approval processes. This fosters an environment where adaptability is not just possible, but also encouraged. – Jeff Pedowitz, The Pedowitz Group
9. Change The Company Attitude
To be flexible, you have to change the attitude at the company. We are in a time in history where technology is moving so quickly. Making the wrong adjustment could be costly, so you must make good decisions and ensure that these changes will not be too costly. One of my favorite business books is Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese. This book has shaped how we make decisions and make changes. – Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems Inc.
10. Foster Continuous Learning And Feedback
To architect a team for agility, you need to foster a culture of continuous learning and feedback. Flatten the hierarchy to boost open communication. Adopt short, iterative project cycles for easier adjustments. Invest in regular team training for up-to-date skills. Prioritize consistent feedback from all stakeholders to ensure insights are promptly acted upon. Agility is about smart adaptability, not just speed. – Kellie Rastegar, Rastegar Property Company
11. Cultivate An Adaptable Culture
One key tip to help leaders architect their team or company for agility is to cultivate a culture of adaptability. Encourage your team to embrace change as a constant, not an exception. Emphasize learning and growth, encourage flexibility, foster innovation, measure and reflect and finally, lead by example. – Neha Naik, RecruitGyan
12. Encourage Learning And Experimentation
Cultivate a culture of continuous learning and experimentation. Encourage your employees to embrace change, take calculated risks and view failures as opportunities for growth. Provide them with access to resources for upskilling and create an environment where innovative ideas are valued. By doing so, you can empower your team to adapt, practice and stay ahead in an ever-evolving business landscape. – Pavel Stepanov, Virtudesk
13. Watch For Shifting Trends
You have to keep your ears and eyes open for shifting trends. That means not only watching what’s happening, but also trying new things. I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of social media, but I’ve tried and participated in every platform to ensure I am familiar with the modern mix of communications and opportunities for my customers. You have to be “in the know.” – Ronjini Joshua, The Silver Telegram
14. Foster Transparency
I believe transparency is the key to achieving agility. When challenges like changing market conditions arise, you won’t have to spend precious time explaining the “why” or other necessary context. If your team, especially those in leadership positions, already has a full picture of the business, they’ll be able to make informed decisions and act more quickly. – Emily Reynolds Bergh, R Public Relations Firm
15. Recognize Speed And Momentum
Speed and momentum need to be recognized, encouraged and fueled in a company. For businesses, it’s all about the connection to the customer, the customer experience and the data around that experience. Leaders should architect mechanisms to enable rapid understanding of the customer experience. They will then be motivated and rewarded for reacting fast and responsively to the key takeaways. – Jason Foodman, Leaf.page
16. Encourage Diverse Perspectives And Ideas
We’ve embraced a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Our international team, dispersed across various time zones and cultures, is encouraged to share diverse perspectives and ideas regularly. By creating a collaborative environment that values innovation and cross-functional cooperation, we’re better prepared to adapt to evolving market dynamics and meet customers’ ever-changing needs. – Johan Hajji, UpperKey
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