We knew in theory, but this year we’re seeing it from up close: Change can come out of nowhere and disrupt an entire society. As an entrepreneur, how do you deal with that kind of unpredictability? There is no way to anticipate absolutely everything, of course, but an agile organization is able to keep a cool head and go with the flow. With our assessments we make clear where teams and individual employees stand in terms of flexibility. From there, we can start working together to make organizations ready for the future.
The world keeps growing smaller. Across borders, we are more closely connected than we sometimes even realize. Events in faraway places have their immediate impact on our part of the world. Just think of what happened at the start of the coronavirus outbreak: factories and borders were closed, with immediate consequences for the supply of parts and finished products. Similarly, political tensions and climate factors can be disrupters of trade.
Constant change
Crises come and go, but change is here to stay. In all possible industries, the market is constantly on the move. Digitalization is happening at breakneck speed, with new technologies emerging in quick succession. As entrepreneurs we thoroughly understand the saying ‘no man is an island’ – especially in this country that lives and breathes international trade. We’re always looking to connect with the world around us. We operate internationally, with a variety of cultures and a wide range of risks. Change is our reality. It’s happening every day, today faster than ever before, and change is the one thing we can count on not to go away. In an organization, ALL employees need to be able to handle this and adapt. Which calls for an attitude of openness and an eagerness to learn. For agility, flexibility and creativity. Changes may impact some roles more than others, but in the end we will all be affected. But how can organizations develop that level of agility?
Traditional structures
In our transition projects we are lucky to work with some of the most wonderful companies, with high levels of craftsmanship and service and a strong drive to achieve challenging goals. And yet they often operate within traditional structures with hierarchic leadership models. Which would actually seem counterintuitive, as we can certainly trust the people who are masters of their trade to make the right decisions. We support organizations in their process of transformation and democratization, until a culture of ownership has settled deep inside the organization’s DNA. Empowering people is the key. Without managers who insist on bossing people around, but with leaders who know how to serve a team. When ownership is secured on the workfloor, transitions can be a success.
Process optimization
The transition towards an organization that is agile, future-proof and thereby successful requires an analysis of customer requirements and the development of processes that provide an adequate response. It brings up questions such as ‘Which customers do we want to serve, and what are their needs?’ and ‘How do we think we can meet those needs?’. Together with teams we take stock of crucial business processes. We find ways to optimize them, then formalize them. Employees in key positions and their managers are well aware of the organization’s market potential. ‘How can we maximize the value we add?’, ‘How can we maximize our contribution to results?’, ‘How can we save costs?’. In close consultation with the organization we define goals and desired results. Then we use these as a basis for plotting a course for the transition. To the extent that is reasonably possible, we commit to guaranteed results.
Cultural transition
In parallel to the process optimization we help start the change of culture. We hold up a mirror to people to help them understand their competencies as well as their opportunities for growth. We put the right people in the right positions and provide training to create an open culture of collaboration aimed at achieving concrete results. Step by step we guide organizations on their trajectory from traditional and hierarchical structures towards a culture of responsibility, self-direction and results. Because the agility of an organization depends on employees being able to make their own judgments and take their own independent decisions. An important role in the analysis of this process is reserved for our assessments.
Assessments
With our assessments we challenge the ability of managers, employees and teams to anticipate on unexpected situations and respond flexibly. We do this by presenting them with fictional cases that fully reflect the changeable nature of today’s reality.
Every transition is uniquely tailored to the needs of an organization, and for this reason we offer a wide range of possible assessments, such as development assessments, agile assessments and selection assessments. Some of these are our own in-house developments, and all are based on scientific research as well as many years of experience. All our assessments can be applied at either the individual or the group level. And if the circumstances require, they can all be taken online.
After the analytic phase we consult with stakeholders within the organization to lay out a programme for the organization’s development. This can include training of things such as coaching skills, influencing skills, ownership, result-oriented collaboration, customer focus, results and focus, personal effectiveness or giving feedback. Such a programme is always tailor-made in co-creation with our client. We draw on many years of experience in our recommendations of the most suitable tools.
Agile leadership
One of the objectives of a transition is to embed a sense of ownership deep within the organization. However, even the most agile organization needs some form of leadership. This leadership should be able to inspire teams and individuals and encourage them to achieve their goals. Agile leaders are themselves open to change and highly focused. They are innovative and creative, and able to think outside of the box. They have a clear understanding of processes and a talent for putting in motion the right things at the right time, always within a clear framework for goals and results. Such leaders are able to apply different styles of leadership. They are as mentally flexible as they are forward looking. For this too is characteristic of an agile organization: the ability to move and make strategic choices.
Flexible organization
A crucial aspect in all this is the combination of flexibility at both the operational and the strategic level. This is the only way to make optimal use of the knowledge and expertise of experienced professionals. Agile leaders know how to give them every necessary room to manoeuvre while at the same time building the future. After all, it’s not just about the ability to respond to unexpected situations in the present, it’s also about the flexibility and drive to anticipate future change and stay ahead of the competition.
An old Chinese proverb says: ‘The winds of change are met by some with walls, by others with windmills.’ It’s our mission to support wonderful organizations in their transformation towards agility and the ability to seize the opportunities that change has to offer. To help them become organizations that have the creativity to imagine ‘windmills’ and the level of craftsmanship that’s required to make them reality. They will be successful if they can tap into and develop their biggest strength: the agility of their employees. For in any organization, it is always the people who represent the fundamental value.
Would you like to know more about our assessments and the transition towards an agile organization?
Call Krista Beilschmidt on +31 (0)70 346 92 05 or +31 (0)6 41 27 30 20 for more information and relevant references in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. Krista is an HR consultant, business administrator and organization specialist, and a managing partner of H+C.