As a thought-leader in change and transformation, I need clear answers about the future of the change profession, otherwise I am not delivering value during my podcasts and webinars. I was recently asked about the importance of Agile Change, as I am the Chief Examiner for the Agile Change Agent and Agile Change Coach certifications. As thousands of you have already taken or are booked to take these courses I thought you would appreciate this update.
I recently gave a presentation where I explained how Agile Change is now a core contributor to best practice for change and transformation activities. For every challenge we face in trying to adopt new ways of working, the Agile Change approach comes up with an answer:
Agile Change has evolved in the 10 years since the Agile Change Management Handbook was first published and updated in the 2nd edition I wrote in 2021. The greatest change is how agile change is now mainstream, referenced in so many aspects of growth, innovation, competitive advantage, new operating models, with agility accepted as a core leadership capability.
McKinsey research demonstrates the link between organisational agility and innovation. Key to this is the recognition that clearly defined processes for managing change are a vital “idea execution” ability. After all, it is no good having lots of innovation if these ideas cannot be brought to life. Ideas are in 2 parts: the creation of the tangible changes needed to make them happen – new systems, data, products and services; the creation of the new behaviours, routines, processes that people follow to work differently.
As the pace of change has accelerated, we have less time to get things done. Our stakeholders have less time to contribute to change and we spend a lot of time persuading them/chasing them to get involved. One of the most useful outcomes from an Agile Change approach is how it reduces the pressure on time-poor resources. The planning techniques and the structure for curating your communications to remove “noise” helps you work smarter. Your ability to manage your time, and to help those whose help you need to find the time for you has never been more important. Watch this webinar (or be smart and have it playing in the background whilst you do other tasks!) will give you quick techniques you can immediately apply.
Change is a fast-moving skill-set and we are already moving into a world where change management relies on neuroscience to ensure we connect more effectively with our stakeholders. This shift to neuroscience has been thought-provoking for me, because Agile Change has proven to be ahead of its time. W we have the evidence that demonstrates how brain-smart an agile change approach is. Understanding how our brains process information, take decisions and react to stress explains why Agile planning techniques including the roadmap approach and creating your own Celebration Strategy accelerate buy-in and support for the changes you are making.
If you have been meaning to upskill in Agile Change but other things get in your way, now is the time to commit to your own development. If you think you are busy now, you are just going to get busier. You need to claw back more thinking time, and the techniques in the Agile Change course will sharpen your efficiency and your effectiveness. Which of these benefits is most relevant to you? Increase your professionalism by joining me on one of my courses and gain the same benefits all these past attendees are enjoying.
