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When we talk about digital change, we don't just mean digital transformation, but also agility. Companies are being challenged by rapid societal, social, technical and economic developments. Very few people think about workplace culture - even though it is the key to the right mindset for agility and therefore digital transformation.
What is agility actually?
If a company wants to successfully shape the digital transformation, it also needs to rethink its workplace culture. Digitalization means networking and therefore greater speed - and anyone who finds themselves in a rapidly changing environment must be able to act flexibly. And this is where agility comes into play: agility is by definition the company-wide ability to act flexibly in organizational structures, information systems, logistical processes and, above all, mindsets, write Aitken, Christopher and Towill in their article on agility. However, it is more than a technical act, even if IT supports the introduction of agility. Because while for management it means focusing on leadership, motivating employees and providing them with trust and support, for employees it means constantly expanding their knowledge, developing skills and living an innovative way of thinking.
Agility starts in the mind - not on paper
The right mindset is a prerequisite for agility. But what is part of the mindset? These are assumptions, procedures and the language that a person or group uses. Accordingly, a mindset justifies the premises of a person's or group's decisions. It is not true that it has to stay that way once developed. A mindset can also be changed in existing employees - provided the person is open to it. Anyone who has developed an agile mindset builds their skillset on this basis - i.e. the skills and abilities to apply it. For example, an agile mindset includes flexibility, so the skillset would then include the ability to adapt quickly to new situations. The skillset can be learned as soon as employees have developed the mindset. Finally, there is the toolset, i.e. training, presentations or coaching, for example, with which employees are supported in developing agility. However, what is easy to read on paper becomes a Herculean task in practice - especially for managers.
VUCA world as a challenger and driver of agility
These days, a guide is like the captain of a river raft. The current is strong, you don't know when the next rock or rapid is approaching, and there is a constant threat of running aground in shallow water. The boat is symbolic of agility, and the acronym VUCA is used to describe the dangers and challenges surrounding the boat. VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, which can be translated as volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Originally developed by the American military, VUCA is now used to categorize the situation and identify areas for action. The four parts of VUCA are categorized with the help of two questions: "How much do I know about the situation?" and "How accurately can the results of our actions be predicted?".
The more uncertain the environmental influences in a VUCO world, the more trust is needed in the organization. Trust is therefore not only important for workplace culture, but also for agility. Employees are not always convinced by new approaches - after all, what the farmer doesn't know, he won't eat. To build trust and thus lay the foundations for agility, you first need a clear vision, mission, values and a sense of purpose. They give employees orientation and fulfill them if they are in line with the company's own values. Secondly, a feedback and error culture is needed. This is the basis for cooperation, as feedback promotes employees' perception of themselves and others and thus creates transparency. Of course, this is not always easy. Especially those who swim against the tide need courage to express their opinion. Thirdly, managers must take responsibility and encourage and support employees. And lastly, innovations are needed that arise from new, disruptive thinking. This means that employees must constantly learn new things and have the courage to develop even absurd ideas. What promotes trust is not looking for blame or guilty parties, but for solutions.
Identify types of agility
Employee surveys are a good way of finding out how trusting employees are. In the Great Place to Work questionnaire, where all employees are surveyed anonymously, the dimensions of credibility, respect and fairness relate to trust in management. In addition to these questions, we conducted a representative survey in fall 2016 to find out how employees in Germany rate the agility of their company. Only 43% of employees were convinced that their employers would survive the digital transformation. It was also interesting to note that employees could be divided into different types of agility: active innovators, optimists, stable and pessimists. Active innovators (9%) are absolutely convinced that their business will change radically. 30% of respondents are optimists, only 76% of whom are convinced that their business will change. The Steadfast make up 51% of respondents and are 32% convinced that the organization must change in order to survive. The pessimists, who do not believe that change is necessary, make up 10% of respondents. It is therefore important to identify the persistent and pessimists and make them aware of the urgency of cultural change. An agile culture in which trust in and from employees takes center stage.
