Let’s face it, we are currently operating in uncertain times. This can be quite unsettling for many businesses but provides opportunities to become more agile. Swiftly adapting to market changes, customer demands, and technological advancements that invariably happen. Achieving this level of agility requires a significant cultural shift – the willingness to let go.
Letting go can be really hard to do but there are so many advantages – particularly in creating a sustainable, agile and scalable company that can deliver strong growth:
1. Embracing Change
An agile company has strength in its ability to adapt to change. This means letting go of rigid plans and outdated strategies that no longer serve the organisation. It means ensuring that flexibility and responsiveness is core to your business, not just sticking to a path because it has been set as the plan to follow. Leaders must be willing to abandon projects or pivot strategies when new information or market conditions require. Embracing change enables companies to seize new opportunities, stay ahead of the competition and ultimately to succeed in executing on the longer-term vision.
2. Delegating Authority
As a business leader, one of the biggest challenges is often learning how to delegate effectively. In an agile company, decision-making is often decentralised, empowering teams to make quick decisions without waiting for approval through layers of authority. The advantage is in speeding up processes and fostering innovation. By giving everyone in the organisation the power to make decisions that ‘do the right thing’ for the business, employees are more engaged, accountable and take initiative more often.
In such an environment, as a leader you must trust your teams and let go of the need to control every detail. By delegating authority, you can focus on more strategic initiatives, while employees in turn can take ownership of their work and drive the company forward.
3. Encouraging Experimentation (and Failure!)
Agile companies thrive on experimentation and continuous improvement. This requires a shift from a fear of failure to a culture of learning. This isn’t always easy, especially given the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome in Australia and New Zealand. But leaders must let go of the notion that every initiative has to succeed. Instead, encourage teams to experiment, learn from failures, and repeat. This mindset not only encourages innovation but also leads to the development of better products and services.
As the saying goes, “fail fast, learn faster.”
4. Streamlining Processes
A bunch of bureaucracy and excessive processes can be counterintuitive to agility. To support a more agile environment, leaders must be willing to let go of processes that slow down decision-making and execution. Streamlining processes involves eliminating unnecessary steps, simplifying workflows, and leveraging technology to automate repetitive tasks. By doing so, companies can improve efficiency and allow teams to focus on high-value activities that drive growth.
5. Focusing on Outcomes
An agile company’s focus shifts from outputs to outcomes. Letting go of traditional metrics that measure activity rather than results – simply monitoring time or widgets made won’t cut it. Goals and key results (OKRs) that align with the company’s strategic objectives and track progress based on the impact achieved, are far more effective. This approach ensures that efforts are directed towards activities that deliver real value and contribute to the overall organisational success.
6. Cultivating a Growth Mindset
Agility requires a growth mindset, where continuous learning, development and improvement are valued. Agile leaders encourage employees to embrace challenges, seek feedback, improve and repeat. Providing opportunities for professional growth, offering training and development programs, and encouraging a culture of curiosity and innovation are essential for building an agile workforce.
Flexing your ‘letting go’ muscles is not about having no control entirely but about creating an environment where flexibility, empowerment, and continuous improvement are the norms. By embracing change, delegating authority, encouraging experimentation, streamlining processes, focusing on outcomes, and cultivating a growth mindset, companies can enhance their agility and thrive in today’s everchanging business landscape.
The journey towards becoming an agile company is ongoing, but the payoffs can be significant. Companies that master the art of letting go will be better positioned to adapt, innovate, and grow, ensuring long-term success in a constantly evolving market.
