Agility in the world of work
Challenges and opportunities of an agile working world
The concept of agility has existed since the 1950s within the systems theory of organizations. A prime example is sociologist Talcott Parsons, who identified four key functions every system must fulfill to sustain itself.
First, an organization must have the ability to respond to changing external conditions. Second, it must define and pursue clear goals. Third, it needs to establish and maintain cohesion and inclusion. Finally, it must succeed in preserving fundamental structures and value patterns.
Agile organizations have the capability to continuously adapt to their complex, uncertain, and turbulent environments. But what does this concretely mean for your company?
Businesses aiming to become agile must address many aspects. For example, they need to consider how their organization is structured.
Which structures can be adapted? What processes require change? Which personnel and leadership tools support customer-focused, agile work? How can we respond faster to change? How can agility be embedded in our corporate culture?
At the start of such a transformation process, it is crucial to develop an agile target vision to gain a clear understanding of where and how the organization needs to change. It must be defined whether the company wants to become agile across all levels fundamentally or if agility should be implemented only at the project level, for example.
Another key step in agile transformation is a consistent focus on the customer. The company begins by thinking from the customers’ perspective in all areas and aligning the entire operational organization accordingly. The hierarchical structure remains in the background but must not hinder agile workflows. Practically, this requires a fundamental mindset shift in leadership attitudes and self-understanding.
When reviewing and adjusting processes for agile, customer-centric orientation, the question is how a company can serve customer needs as quickly as possible. Processes should be designed iteratively and incrementally to achieve a high degree of adaptability.
Agile organizational design also demands redefining the role and mindset of leaders. In agile companies, leaders serve their teams to deliver fast customer value. This internal leadership attitude is essential to truly implement the principles and values of an agile organization. Another important aspect of agile transformation is adapting the company’s infrastructure, including flexible office spaces, home office concepts, and other alternative working models.
Last but not least, agile transformation can only succeed if the company culture supports it. Transparency, dialogue, trust, openness, proactive knowledge sharing, and fast feedback loops are key elements distinguishing an agile culture from a traditional one—and they provide companies a decisive competitive advantage in the medium term.