Maybe you’ve spent sleepless nights wondering how to improve your organization, or economic shifts have you worried about the future. One thing’s for certain: You’ve decided it’s time to make a change.
Being able to adapt provides an edge over the competition. and expanding your organizational Agility can get you there. The question is: how?
The answer: With a coach who can work with you to address your needs. Read on to learn what goes into choosing the right Agility partner and position your organization for continued success.
Importance of Approaching Agility the Right Way
Did you know that as many as 67 percent of organizations say business Agility is a high priority? It’s understandable when Agility has the potential to improve productivity and the ability to adapt to sudden changes and unknowns. But the trick is in seeing it through—otherwise, it won’t work.
Commitment to Improve
One thing we like to say here at Project Brilliant is that there’s a difference between “doing Agile” and being Agile. Pursuing Agile practices just to improve processes or try something new isn’t sustainable and can lead to cult behavior, challenges, and resistance—hurting the business instead of helping. Organizations need to have a clear purpose and commit to becoming Agile to see tangible results.
Collective Effort
Look before you leap. Leaders should be stewards of Agility, but also be deliberate about getting organizational buy-in to succeed—otherwise, the shift could create friction. A methodical approach yields the best results.
Instead of imposing decisions on teams, work gradually to create a mutual understanding and empower them to adapt to what will work best. Once you’re well underway, share ongoing results to keep teams apprised of how Agility efforts are working to improve the organization—and where it might help to keep refining.
Must Be Continuous
The unique thing about organizational Agility is that it’s not a project with an end date. Rather than upgrading your servers to the latest version, it’s more like tossing them in favor of introducing something different and more effective.
Agility is a fundamental shift in the way you do things in an effort to constantly adapt and improve. One thing that helps is to put processes in place to manage and measure improvement, giving teams insight into the “why” behind their efforts and showing them real results.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Partner
The Agility partner you choose needs to be able to guide you toward actionable results from the beginning of your relationship onward. With that in mind, prioritize what matters most in a potential partnership.
Your Corporate Soulmate
There’s value in finding a partner you can see yourself working well with, so screen potential Agility partners with this in mind. What’s their company culture; does it match yours? Do they understand your end goals? Compatibility matters!
For our part, Project Brilliant is an ideal fit for organizations that possess several key attributes:
-
Open-mindedness: You must be willing to experiment because the right answer isn’t always the first one!
-
Effective communication: Agility is an iterative process, so leadership needs to keep all parties on the same page along the way.
-
A learning culture: We’re here to help you improve and even learn from failures as long as you’re open to it.
-
Commitment: Change is hard, but being able to see it through to the end can lead to valuable improvements.
Experience Going Through the Mud With You
When you’re looking for an Agility partner you need to know they can deliver—and not just on the basics. With a few possible partners in mind, start by looking at their track records. Your partner needs to have experience that can move the needle for your organization. Can they wade through the messy parts of agility as much as the processes and practices?
For our part, Project Brilliant brings over 20 years of experience across consumer goods, financial services, retail, technology, and more. We’ve proudly completed over 10,000 training programs and helped to launch over 1,000 teams. Our team is also adept at change management—laying the groundwork for success by minimizing resistance, helping implement a plan for transformation, and being available for ongoing training to sustain change.
A Winning Team
When clients are happy, it shows. Do potential partners have glowing testimonials? How about repeat or long-term clients? Looking into these successes gives you more insights into their process and training approach—learning whether it’s generally effective and whether it suits your organization.
Project Brilliant has helped companies around the world achieve business growth and success. Our case studies provide a glimpse into what you can expect from our team.
Tough Love vs. Sympathetic Ear
How do various organizations approach Agility? Take the time to learn about prospective training partners’ philosophies and processes—are they more hands-on or do they just offer a starter toolkit?
Project Brilliant not only offers intensive training for Agile certifications but also becomes an extension of your team by collaborating across the entire organization. Our AgileOS business Agility model incorporates a customizable approach with three key pillars guiding the way: teams, products, and leaders. By honing in on these elements, Project Brilliant meets you where you are to pave the way for long-term success.
Forge Your Agile Path
Being able to stay on your toes as an organization comes in handy as the world and your industry keep changing. If you can adapt, you will have an edge over the competition to keep providing excellence to all you serve.
But it can’t be a one-shot effort. Agility must be intentional, collective, and continuous—and the right partner impacts your success. Project Brilliant can help. From intensive training to extended consulting, we’ll work with all levels of your organization to improve your organization’s Agility. Schedule your meeting today to learn how we can help.
