An Agile organization is one where leaders have thoughtfully embedded Agile principles into the ways the organization works. The benefits of Agile can be significant, and organizations are exploring how to change traditional ways of working (e.g., project management, life cycle management, etc.) into Agile ways of working (e.g., Scrum,
Throughout the process of organization transformation, leaders often reach points where they must decide when (or whether) to step in and take action, versus sitting back and allowing a situation to play itself out. There are times when the wisest course of action is inaction. However, in many cases inaction
Traditionally, much of the activity involved in change management has revolved around the art of communication and persuasion. To effectively create change in an organization, it is imperative to anticipate the reactions of stakeholders to a proposed change, and effectively communicate with them in such a way that they willingly
A healthy organization is efficient, resilient, and supports positive relationships both internally and with its external stakeholders, with all parts operating effectively toward a common goal. Organizational health is a measure of how well a company functions, as well as its long-term viability and potential for growth. Just as symptoms
Resource availability is one of the built-in challenges of managing organizational change. For successful change transformation to occur, leaders and teams must learn to work effectively within the constraints of resource limitations. Limiting resources vary from one organization to the next, but the scarcest resource of all for many is
Most companies approach the strategic business planning process as an annual ritual starting mid-year and lasting three to four months, to identify how to allocate resources for the coming year. Once they’ve turned in the plan and gotten approval, many leaders set planning aside and turn back to discussions that
I’m not a volleyball player, but I did have one memorable experience playing the game in a gym class back in high school. The other team hit the ball high. As it lofted over the net, each one of us tracked its trajectory, tensed for action. We could see where
Over the past few decades, more and more organizations have established internal organization effectiveness (OE) groups and capabilities, with the idea that OE groups can help them restructure, manage change, and optimize business performance. Each OE group approaches the task uniquely. Some provide hands-on consulting services; others build out a
More and more companies are adapting Agile methods and principles in the way they work. However, most change management practices have evolved out of linear ways of working (like project management or waterfall development), not from Agile ways of working. So, what happens when an organization begins to operate in
When Amazon announced that it had acquired Whole Foods Market, reactions from the media and thought leaders were immediate and varied. Some applauded the breakthrough deal as a herald to a new era of online/offline synergies, while other responses amounted to variations on “What were they thinking?” and “How can