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Month: June 2023
Are there boundaries to agility?
At a point in our conversation, agility became the focal point for Ade (not real name). He works in the fintech space. He seems to have recently caught the bug and would spare no one about his own version of agility in a VUCA world.
I say his own version because it was a depart from what I #thought agility meant. He spoke passionately about this strange concept which for me sounded like nogility. I also suspect that he must have read the book Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson and must have misunderstood the whole concept of rethinking a company’s business model and its attending activities.
Within the scope of work and the extended business space, it will be spot on to maintain that volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity have always been with us. The dimensional change and its attending variables in this time brings the difference. Do you agree with this conclusion of mine?
I say this because, Ade’s continued reference to VUCA makes it feel the world never existed. I believe elements of VUCA was present when Nokia moved from Textile to Mobile Devices. Well, I will be dropping my own buzz phrase here SAS! You will find the meaning at the end of this piece. So sorry for the digression.
I could have taken a bet that the whole concept of agility is all about being nimble, being flexible, being alert and being fast. It is not about doing a way with critical business activities. As a matter of fact, that is the foundation.
To attend to my #curiosity, what is the signal that shows that wanting to be agile is being abused or misunderstood? There are thought spewing out there like Ade’s that professes agility as not practicing or recognizing planning or anything that resembles being deliberate; being intentional and stable. If we talk about competitive advantage, how do you retain such position if your approach does not recognize the need for strategic planning?
Are we really aligned? For CEO, your HR and others.
Strategic Direction: Assessing Alignment within Organizations
In any organization, regardless of its industry or stage of growth, questions around where the company is headed and what actions need to be taken to get there are critical. It is common knowledge that these are pacesetting questions that everyone within the structured business space is familiar with. However, assuming that all stakeholders are fully aware of their common destination and their expected role in achieving it can be a dangerous assumption.
Recently, as part of our bench-strength development initiative, I was discussing the subject of roles of interest with my Managing Director. He provided a fresh contextual perspective on what would inform our agreement on select roles of interest (not wanting to give too much info. *TFU). This interaction sparked a new thought process, leading me to wonder if the drivers of business are truly aligned or if they are pulling in opposite directions on matters that concern the organization. Are they having serious conversations on deeper issues that impact the business, or is it a cocktail of half insights and assumptions? #curiosity
To answer these questions, I have developed a simple tool called “Assessing Alignment” to determine the degree of alignment within an organization. This tool is designed for gathering feedback and taking action, and should not be used for victimization. In cases where the maturity level of the organization is in doubt or the level of trust is low, it is crucial to agree on the purpose of the exercise and re-emphasize it before deployment.
In conclusion, assessing alignment within an organization is crucial for ensuring that all stakeholders are working towards a common goal. This tool can provide valuable insights into areas of misalignment and help organizations take the necessary actions to address them.
You can tailor for use even outside of the workplace. Let your creativity lead you. If you are yet to SAS to this newsletter, Please Subscribe And Share.
*Thanks For Understanding
Is Performance Management betraying expectations?
It is expected that a definition of Performance Management (PM) be the introduction piece for this expression of thought. Well, forgive my rather unconventional approach by wanting to jump straight into the main course. PM has seen a lot of good times and can be said not to have scratched the surface of its possibilities. We all know that the appraisal aspect of PM is just one of the many activities that makes it a system. Best to mention here that this reflection is not about the inadequacies of the various PM systems. Little digression in celebration of many that has been and have continued to be relevant. First on my list will be the BSC! My personal favorite but least favored to majority due to its seemingly complexity. It bridges the business intents with the outputs of all functions within an organization. Next will be OKR! In my opinion, this is a simplified version of the BSC without the ceremonies of perspectives et al. Also worth referencing will be the MBO. The list goes on and very soon, I will be adding my own creation and I hope you guys give it a chance.
The advent of AI and its disruptions in the work space aligns with my posit that PM was yet to scratch the surface of it possibilities.
Can we have PM without knowing we do? I personally feel that is where we need to start pitching our PM. Can we infuse it into work? Can we make PM feel like showing up at work and everything in between? Let’s crack this, our traditional appraisal intervention is such that in periods, we are aware that something that determines that shift in our career or wallet is about to take place and hence apprehension sets it, all human moves targeted at winning big sets in. Kudos to the organizations that have crossed the bridge, found a way of making appraisal instantaneous. Well, you guys are doing a great job. For those who are still keyed into periodic, you are on track to launching into the next level. For those who are yet to commence any form of PM, it is not too late to activate the process.
So the question is, how do we infuse PM into our organisational life and it feels like the air we breathe? Making it seamless!
First, we need to decide that investments needs to be made and HR needs to get the brief that the shapers of the business have their undiluted commitment to this new way.