SHOW ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY
WHY IT MATTERS
Organizations are more spread out, differentiated, diverse, and complex than they have ever been in modern history. Achieving excellence in organizations today requires much more than just doing your own job well. To make significant contributions and deliver top-notch results leaders need to be able to navigate the complex organizational landscapes and interpersonal relationships that will affect their work. Leaders who show organizational agility have the relationships and cultural know-how to get work done and drive real progress. Leaders who can’t navigate their organization successfully will be swallowed up in the undercurrent of the historical, cultural, and political factors that influence how work gets done.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that show organizational agility know that in today’s modern organizations it takes more than the ability to perform quality work to ensure consistent results. They know that achieving results also requires an understanding of how their organization functions, how to get work done through it, and at times, how to get work done in spite of it.
Leaders that show organizational agility see through organizational boundaries. They have the courage to meet new people, find common ground, gain trust, and build new working partnerships. They invest time in finding and nurturing new strategic connections, knowing that work always happens best through relationships and partnerships.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the history of the organization and why things work the way they do. They know how and why the organization is designed and organized.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the end-to-end processes of the organization at the macro level. They are aware of what groups are responsible for what work, the existing communication and decision-making channels that connect them, and how ideas flow. They see the big picture of how all the groups within the organization collaborate and work together. They understand how ideas turn into proposals, how proposals turn into projects, and how projects get approved, funded, and turned into reality.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the informal channels of the organization. They know the key players, decision makers, and influencers. They know where to go and who to go to when they need help pushing something forward. Leaders don’t assume that just because they know people they will sponsor their ideas and goals. They know what makes other people tick, and they look for opportunities to strike win-win agreements. They form alliances and gain consensus and support through them.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the political realities and cultural landscape of the organization and wisely apply them to their advantage. They know the cultural and political intricacies at the heart of the organization and foresee how they may affect their efforts. They ensure the politics and culture of the organization will sustain their efforts and goals instead of inhibiting their success, complicating their plans, or derailing their efforts.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
Organizations are more spread out, differentiated, diverse, and complex than they have ever been in modern history. Achieving excellence in organizations today requires much more than just doing your own job well. To make significant contributions and deliver top-notch results leaders need to be able to navigate the complex organizational landscapes and interpersonal relationships that will affect their work. Leaders who show organizational agility have the relationships and cultural know-how to get work done and drive real progress. Leaders who can’t navigate their organization successfully will be swallowed up in the undercurrent of the historical, cultural, and political factors that influence how work gets done.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that show organizational agility know that in today’s modern organizations it takes more than the ability to perform quality work to ensure consistent results. They know that achieving results also requires an understanding of how their organization functions, how to get work done through it, and at times, how to get work done in spite of it.
Leaders that show organizational agility see through organizational boundaries. They have the courage to meet new people, find common ground, gain trust, and build new working partnerships. They invest time in finding and nurturing new strategic connections, knowing that work always happens best through relationships and partnerships.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the history of the organization and why things work the way they do. They know how and why the organization is designed and organized.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the end-to-end processes of the organization at the macro level. They are aware of what groups are responsible for what work, the existing communication and decision-making channels that connect them, and how ideas flow. They see the big picture of how all the groups within the organization collaborate and work together. They understand how ideas turn into proposals, how proposals turn into projects, and how projects get approved, funded, and turned into reality.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the informal channels of the organization. They know the key players, decision makers, and influencers. They know where to go and who to go to when they need help pushing something forward. Leaders don’t assume that just because they know people they will sponsor their ideas and goals. They know what makes other people tick, and they look for opportunities to strike win-win agreements. They form alliances and gain consensus and support through them.
Leaders that show organizational agility know the political realities and cultural landscape of the organization and wisely apply them to their advantage. They know the cultural and political intricacies at the heart of the organization and foresee how they may affect their efforts. They ensure the politics and culture of the organization will sustain their efforts and goals instead of inhibiting their success, complicating their plans, or derailing their efforts.
BELIEFS
- Most of the time organizations are their own obstacle to getting work done. Know how to make yours work for you.
- Political, cultural, historical, and people factors all need to be managed, or they might derail your work at any time.
- You can’t know how to work within an organization until you know how it is designed and why it was designed that way.
- Formal channels for getting work done are designed and taught. Informal channels for getting work done aren’t.
- Politics and culture are the unspoken power that drive work. If you don’t recognize their effects they will roadblock you every time.
- The fundamental building block of an organization is its people. Connect with other people and you open the door to success.
- You have to know how the various parts of the organization co-exist and how to navigate between them.
- There is an unwritten order to how work gets done in every organization, and you have to master it.
BEST PRACTICES
- Know the key decision makers and key players.
- Influence the work of other groups and teams.
- Cross department and organizational lines.
- Understand why things are the way they are.
- Do not underestimate politics and culture.
- Understand how culture influences doing work.
- See how the organization fits together.
- Know where to go to make things happen.
- Know how your organization works.
- Know the unspoken rules for doing work.
- Use formal and informal channels for doing work.
- Acknowledge cultural and political realities.
- Build consensus across departments and groups.
- Spend time building critical relationships.
- Understand the role of each team and group.
- Maneuver organizational boundaries.
- Step outside your own work group.
- Know who to go to for resolutions to problems.
- Break down silos between organizations.
- Forms relationships with key strategic people.
- Study the history of the organization carefully.
- Break through red tape when needed.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I know how my organization works, or do I feel like my organization is a puzzle I have yet to put together?
- Do I have relationships with the crucial players in the organization, or do I feel like a stranger to them?
- Do I know who the influencers are in the organization, or do I wonder who to turn to for support and influence?
- Do I know the cultural and political realities that exist, or do I feel blind to their undercurrents and consequences?
- Do I know how my organization is designed, or do I only know my individual piece of the pie?
- Do I know the informal channels through which work gets done, or do I only know the formal channels?
- Do I form win-win alliances to help my work progress, or do I hope my work gets prioritized on merit alone?
- Do I understand the importance of being able to maneuver within the organization to get things done, or do I not?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t get labeled as a “roamer” who cares more about what is happening in other parts of the organization than your own.
- Don’t expend so much effort maneuvering around the organization that people begin to wonder if you are overly political.
- Don’t be so caught up in political and cultural games that instead of focusing on superior results you focus too much on scheming.
- Roles and responsibilities are clearly understood by everyone.
- On my team, we focus on accomplishing the most important work.
- On my team, we are able to easily remove obstacles to the work.
- We receive regular feedback from our customers.
- Best practices are shared across teams in this organization.