AGILITY : unleashing human and organizational potential

Abstract

We live in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, the so-called VUCA world, where organizational agility is increasingly important to simply survive. But the meaning of agile perplexes people today as it has become an industry with over 70 different agile practices (Denning, 2016). If we ignore the tools and techniques that are being sold to us through books, courses, certifications, conferences and consulting, and focus on the core of agility – it is surprisingly simple. Our result here shows us that agility is not about the tools, it’s not about the how – it’s about the why and what. We are back to the basics, back to the four simple values of the Agile Manifesto. In our research, we have indicated four basic elements that are significant for organizational agility.Flourishing people: When people have freedom, autonomy and an environment that is free of organizational friction they have the optimal conditions to flourish and become more of themselves. This naturally leads to more agility.Client at the core: Having the client at the core is a vital ingredient for future organizations. This means that we need to break out of the constraints of our organizations internal systems and processes and truly commit to our clients.Less is more: Less management is one of the keys to increased agility. This is a difficult subject often ignored due to its future implications.Minimum viable bureaucracy: What hinders organizations from delivering (fast, simple and targeted) products is extensive hierarchy, excessive procedures and formalization, silo thinking and organizational friction.We as leaders and project managers play a significant role in creating an environment where agility can flourish.