We’ve just published the results of our workplace culture research entitled
A guide on the importance of building an agile culture and you can download it free here.
An organisation is only as good as its people. But people are motivated by the organisation’s culture as that’s what drives the behaviours that make the organisation successful.
Organisational agility is not well understood, our research into the subject revealed four critical areas, which are key indicators of what we can term as potential misalignment within an organisation.
We looked at how SMEs manage change and transformation when they go through transition(s), such as a growth phase or through the process of a Merger & Acquisition.
Our focus was on identifying the way businesses managed the four key elements of organisational culture to more efficiently pursue agile transformations.
These four elements are:
1. Recognition: Recognising good or hard/smart work. One in five claim that there are never any personal development reviews inside their organisation…and strongly disagree that there is a system of recognition.
2. Communication: Organisational purpose, clarity of expectations and alignment of people. One in five companies claim that the organisation’s values are not visible…and a similar number claim that the relationship between their role and the purpose of the organisation is not clear.
3. Trust: Trust in other people/ Organisation.Trust is more likely to be associated with fellow colleagues rather than senior management.
4. Learning: Investment in training. In controlling cultures there’s less investment in skills.
An agile culture has to be built on an agile mindset. This allows things to move more quickly, less hierarchy in decision making and responsibility handed to small agile groups and teams to make things happen. Communication channels are then efficient and open, as in there is more transparency.
Building an agile mindset and culture offers a way to harness the power of the people in your organisation to find ways to be more adaptive, innovative and resilient in a fast-paced digital economy.
An agile culture is increasingly recognised as a critical component for the survival and growth of a business.
In a fast- paced environment where changing trends and consumer sentiment are the norm, significant disruption is not only to be expected but embraced.
Rapid changes in competition, demand, consumer and employee expectations, technology and regulations make it imperative for organisations to be able to adapt quickly.
Becoming agile is important to my organisation
Despite companies ranking agility as a high strategic priority in their performance units, respondents sentiment painted a picture of organisations falling behind in transforming activities in several parts
of their structure—from innovation and customer experience to operations and strategy.
What’s more our survey also confirms that organisations that have successfully implemented an agile culture and adopted an agile mindset excel at both stability and dynamism.
The guide looks at some of the behaviours that nurture and characterise an agile mindset and the impact that adopting agile culture can have on communication, commitment and collaboration within your organisation, and the symbiotic relationship between culture and leadership and how it shapes and influences change within organisations.
If we’re not investing in our workforce what are we doing?
If you’re struggling with understanding your corporate culture, why the business isn’t growing as fast as it should and need some help then get in touch.
You can read more about building business agility in our book.
For MORE exclusive content related to our book on Building the Agile Business, sign up here.
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