The Age of Agility

In our past newsletters, we talked extensively about change, VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) environment, and the need for a new, more flexible approach. In this context, the concept of AGILITY makes a lot of sense. If this made you think of an athlete, you would be right as the analogy is the same. With both our body and mind we can move forward with grace and speed, even in the face of uncharted territory.

Agility is defined as the “Ability to move quickly and easily” and as “Having a quick, resourceful, and adaptable character”[1]. So, we could say that it is the capability to fluidly move onward while adapting to change. This word is connected to a sense of lightness, grace, absence of overthinking or heavy mental structures, and a feeling of being guided by our system to create the best response to new stimuli and challenges. Doesn’t this sound wonderful?

Well, not only it does sound wonderful, but it’s also possible. As we become aware of the importance of Agility, new tools appear on the horizon to help us embody this new way of moving into the world and in the workplace.

Why Are We Talking About Agility Now?

Some theories describe the shift we are experiencing in these times as moving from a “Regulated World” to an “Adaptive World”[2]. We characterize the “Regulated World” as conforming to the rules, abiding to a pyramidal, vertical structure, and upholding the status quo. In this Taylorian world[3], efficiency and productivity are the primary focus, we plan to reduce risks, try to do more at lesser costs, and improve because we do not question the system in place.

On the other hand, in an “Adaptive World” change is the rule: we continuously expand our vision in search for opportunities. In fact, that’s how we deal with risks and problems: we prioritize human relationships by cultivating a deep interest in others and creating a horizontal structure. We challenge the status quo by searching for a different way to do things.

As we transition from the previous system to the next though, we are forced to use the regulated system of the old society and the adaptive system of the new one. This means that all situations are a mix between regulated and adaptive, and Agility becomes, in this context, the ability to switch from regulated to adaptive without difficulty. It is for this reason that we must know how to evolve in both systems.

The Three Sensors: Anticipation, Cooperation, Innovation[4]

In order to be able to adapt, we have to know how to capture our environment. Agility in this context means to have sensors to capture the world.

We can rely upon three sensors:

  • ANTICIPATION: It’s the connection to the system (the surrounding environment) which allows us to have the best possible reaction. Do not confuse this with reactivity: the latter does not involve anticipation, which is a reflex. Agility is not just a reflex; it is reflection which brings to anticipation.
  • COOPERATION: If you change alone, without being in synchronization with others, your change will not be effective. Cooperation is about moving forward together with a win/win attitude.
  • INNOVATION: It is about doing something different that works. Innovation can be a new product, but also a different way of talking to someone, a new service. To innovate, you don’t necessarily need to do something new: you just need to do something different. An innovation must save money and take into account what is happening in the context. People who want to innovate must be hyper connected to their context.

 

These sensors are therefore the resources that allow us to capture the situation and embody these three postures:

  • Anticipation posture: Prepare for your action. Depending on what you capture from the surrounding environment you can anticipate and take appropriate action.
  • Cooperation posture: Take into account who you work with and their needs. This will have an influence on what you decide to do.
  • Innovation posture: Doing something different that works, that is well integrated into the ecosystem. You have to be connected to the ecosystem.

 

To help you move into an increasingly agile posture and gain awareness of these three sensors, we have access to new tools that allow us to measure and discern our ability to connect and adapt to one’s context.

API and APD Agility Profiles

There are two questionnaires which measure Agility: the Agile Profile Inventory (API) and the Agile Profile Development (APD). These two assessments can both be used during an individual coaching or a team coaching or training. They can give information either on the individual’s strengths and areas of improvement agility-wise, or the team’s potential agility in a given context.

The API highlights how you tend to act within a group. It identifies how agile your postures are in an adaptive mode (autonomy and flexibility) and regulated mode (stability and formalization). The API is similar to a personality assessment and describes the fundamental inclination of a person or a team.

The APD promotes in individuals and teams an awareness of their ability to implement the three fundamental postures of agility under pressure. The APD is linked to a specific context and can change according to this context.

These two assessments can be extremely useful tools to use during a hiring process, as well as in a coaching journey or a training, as they aim to:

  • Develop the three key Agility competencies: Anticipation, Cooperation, Innovation.
  • Increase self-awareness about one’s agility preferences.
  • Ease synergies among a group or a team.
  • Act individually and collectively to succeed in a specific agile context.

 

Conclusion

In a society that is more and more relationships-based and values-oriented, growth based on cooperation and interdependence has become the way to ensure both an optimized long-term performance, and an overall satisfaction, fulfillment and wellbeing for all the parties involved. Agility can be, in this context, the building block of long-term prosperity. It also gives us the capacity to adopt a realistic, pragmatic approach to capture the state of the system we work in and channel our abilities through this complex and uncertain world.

[1] Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agile.
[2] http://www.agiloa.com/en/our-model-of-the-age-of-agility/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Winslow_Taylor
[4] http://www.agiloa.com/en/our-model-of-the-age-of-agility/

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