Comments for Agility Without Strategy at http://alinement.net , comment 1 to 1 out of 1 comments http://alinement.net Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:43:09 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://alinement.net/home/2-development/17-agility-without-strategy#comment-9 From business operations to application development and work-force flexibility, the rapid changing pace of technology and the resulting dynamic business environment drives the need for flexibility and agility. Yet as eluded to by Marty Cagan, the need for proper strategy and planning is ever increasing because the significance of strategy and planning lies in the:- (i) guidance and framework it supplies to people to work flexibly within; (ii) infrastructure and capabilities developed can be adapted to meet dynamic needs; (iii) driving out of issues for resolution; (iv) value it brings by thinking something through to the point that others know what they need to do and can develop it further; (v) advantages gained through not having to continuously re-work and re-hash an activity. Good strategy and planning ensures empowerment, flexibility and responsiveness. Good strategy and planning is about a process to help people perform better. Good strategy and planning meets needs and responds to the dynamic environment. The key here is “good strategy and planning” and the following may help: Objective – Let’s everyone know what they are meant to be achieving. Objective needs to be clearly defined, quantifiable, be realistic and have a timeframe attached to them. Multiple objectives often lead to a dilution of effort and uncertainty of priorities. When an objective can be clearly articulated in the vernacular and can be used in everyday activity, it has a better chance of being achieved. Strategy – Sets focus and direction and eliminates options. One or two key strategies only are necessary for achieving an objective. Strategies that are clearly defined, quantifiable and can be readily articulated by managers at all levels are likely to be more successful. The essence of strategy is this “is what I am doing aligned to the strategy? If not why are you doing a given activity?” by its definition, strategy eliminates options and whilst strategies need to be reviewed and adjusted, effective strategies seldom change. Planning – The activities needed to realise the strategies. It is not the plan per se that matters, it is the planning process that matters because planning: (i) allows the team to think about what is needed and to identify the issues that will need to be resolved (ii) enables everyone on the same page and improves communication between participants (iii) drives the development of infrastructure and capabilities that can be picked up as used as required to respond to changing conditions to meet needs Remember, if you and your team cannot clearly state what they are doing, why and how they are going to achieve it, agility and flexibility maybe disorganisation, unproductiveness and an excuse for not thinking. - Keith Sherringham Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:10:01 +0100