Gain Strength Under Stress

We’ve all heard the phrase, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”  I’ve recently led a social media campaign on being successful in the hybrid work environment.  One of the key points is to be flexible & agile when stress arrives.  But what does that really mean? 

What I’m talking about is using your existing strengths and knowledge to help create a culture of organizational agility.  In other words, leverage your leadership strengths and what you know about the organization to enhance organizational performance through innovative solutions to problems, proactively meet the needs of the organization and your team, and support staff and the organization through changes. 

That’s a mouthful; so boiled down it means - when you leverage your strengths and knowledge in these ways, you ultimately contribute to organizational agility.

So where do you begin?

First – leaders who contribute to organizational agility know how the organization works, get things done formally and informally, and effectively maneuver through complex situations. 

Secondly - let’s get practical.  To practice agility, follow our 12 tips adopted from McKinsey and Company.

1.     Keep up to date on what is happening across the organization. 

2.     Use your organization’s analytical tools to assess problems and potential solutions. 

3.     Consider organizational culture and norms of behavior when making decisions. 

4.     Communicate to others that ambiguity is a normal part of doing business. 

5.     Demonstrate a willingness to embrace new ideas, processes, and technology.

6.     Stay focused and encourage others to stay focused during times of uncertainty or change. 

7.     Coach others to be flexible and adaptable in various situations.

8.     Relate problems to strategic objectives to identify opportunities for solutions. 

9.     Identify appropriate tools, resources, and expertise across the organization to help develop solutions for problems. 

10.   Create and reinforce a culture of being proactive and innovative.

11.   Take concrete action to achieve the organization’s vision. 

12.   Form and maintain positive relationships. 

 In summary, when you demonstrate the Organizational Agility competency, organizational performance is enhanced through innovative solutions to problems.   

Be strong by being agile; it might hurt, but it won’t kill you!

For more ways to embrace an agile competency, please contact us at: info@cparkerconsulting.com.

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