When we speak of digital change, we do not only mean digital transformation, but also agility. Companies are challenged by rapid social, technical and economic developments. Very few think of workplace culture - although it is the key to the right mindset of agility and thus of digital transformation.
What actually is agility?
If a company wants to successfully shape digital transformation, it also needs to rethink its workplace culture. Digitalization means networking and therefore a higher speed - and those who find 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 organisational structures, information systems, logistical processes and above all ways of thinking, write Aitken, Chris-topher and Towill in their article on agility. But it is more than just a technical act, even if IT supports the introduction of agility. For while it means for management to focus on leadership, motivate employees and give them trust and support, it means for employees to constantly expand their knowledge, develop competencies and live an innovative way of thinking.
Agility begins 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 a person or group has. Correspondingly, a mindset establishes the premises of a person's or group's decisions. It is not true that it has to remain that way once it has been developed. A mindset can also be changed for existing employees - provided the person is open to it. Anyone who has developed an agile mindset forms his skillset on the basis of this mindset - i.e. the skills and abilities to apply it. For example, flexibility is part of an agile mindset, 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, such as training, lectures or coaches, which supports employees in developing agility. But what is easy to read on paper becomes a Herculean task in practice - especially for managers.
VUCA World as Challenger and Driver of Agility
A leader these days is like the captain of a river rafting boat. The current is strong, you don't know when the next rock or rapids is approaching, and you're constantly threatening to run into the shallow water. The boat is a symbol of agility, and the acronym VUCA is used for the dangers and challenges around the boat. VUCA is Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, which can be translated into Volatility, Unknowingness, Complexity and Ambiguity. Originally developed by the American military, VUCA is now used to classify the situation and identify fields of action. The four parts of VUCA are classified using two questions: "How much do I know about the situation? and how accurately can the results of our measures be predicted?
Building trust is the key
The more uncertain the environmental influences in a VUCO world, the more trust is needed in the organisation. Therefore, trust is not only important for the workplace culture, but also for agility. Employees are not always convinced of new approaches - because what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat either. In order to build trust and thus lay the foundations for agility, a clear vision, mission, values and meaning are needed. They give employees orientation and fulfill them when they agree with their own values. Secondly, a feedback and error culture is needed. It is the basis for cooperation, because feedback promotes the employees' own and external perceptions and thus creates transparency. Of course, this is not always easy. Above all, those who swim against the tide need the courage to express their opinions. Thirdly, managers must assume their responsibility and promote and support their employees. And last but not least, we need innovations that result from new, disruptive thinking. What is meant is that employees are constantly learning new things and have the courage to develop absurd ideas. What promotes trust is that the search is not for guilt or guilty parties, but for solutions.
Identifying agility types
In order to find out what the relationship of trust between employees is like, employee surveys have proven their worth. 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 autumn 2016 to find out how employees in Germany assess the agility of their company. Only 43% of employees were convinced that their employers would survive the digital transformation. It was also exciting that the employees could be divided into different agility types: active innovators, optimists, employees and pessimists. Active innovators (9%) are absolutely convinced that their business will change radically. 30% of respondents are optimists, 76% of whom are convinced that their business will change. The persistent make up 51% of the respondents and 32% are convinced that the organization must change in order to survive. 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 on the part of employees is central.
