More than ever, culture is more than a buzzword. During this pandemic, organizations with true cultures of agility were able to pivot, adapt, and innovate to survive and even thrive. Moving forward, consider the five elements your culture needs to be flexible, fluid, and creative:
- Promote psychological safety. This means creating an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks and trying out process changes and new ideas. This leads to greater collaboration, innovation, and engagement.
- Agility mindset. Give employees permission to question how the business is changing and have input into ways you can better meet stakeholder need and move forward with new ideas quickly. Don’t let promising ideas or innovations get bogged down with endless reviews and sign-offs.
- Inclusive collaboration. Break down the silos and bring people from different teams and departments together to collaborate on projects. Identify and celebrate the strengths and talents of individuals.
- Nimble learning. Proactively determine what new skills your team members need and start training right away. Employ adult learning principles and make training hands-on and interactive to ensure greater learning and retention.
- Change readiness. While you can’t plan for every change, you can be prepared to quickly address challenges and crises. You can have your teams ready to engage, strategize, and take quick action.
