Curiosity and Agility

Curiosity and agility are precisely the qualities that ensure the survival of an individual, species or organization.

As a process, I have broken this down into the following 4 stages:

1    to explore

2    to accurately appraise a situation

3    to select an appropriate response

4    to take the appropriate, timely action. 

A failure in this process ensures the untimely demise of a squirrelmunk or a blue chip company.  In large companies there are often difficulties at each stage

1. Curiosity is a state of mind to be cultivated against an all too frequent backdrop of expectations that ‘we are already supposed to know’.  Managers and executives are under a lot of pressure to already have the answers, so it can be risky at a personal level to ask questions. 

In today’s fast-moving market environment we need to cultivate curiosity, to be more open-minded and nurture an outside-in culture where everyone is allowed to learn and people are not expected to know all the answers.

2. Accurately appraising a situation is difficult because we are biased. Many biases serve to protect the ego of the individual for example, an unwillingness to admit that mistakes have been made and that a change of course is required.  Or there may be a bias towards playing safe, following the rules and norms, which prevent a new, more profitable course of action. Or only seeing part of the truth – the part that we already know. 

Successful team-working, where individual points of view are respected, can help to mitigate against personal bias.  Diversity should be embraced to encourage different ways of seeing a situation.

3. We might fail to choose the appropriate response because of the effort of the response required, the change of direction required, or we might simply not know the best cause of action.  The decision-making process to effect a response might be lengthy and convoluted so that they impetus has waned before a decision can be taken.

Decentralising the organisation, its processes and decision-making, allows for decisions to be taken closer to the coalface, where people involved can take responsibility.  Trust needs to be invested and demonstrated in personnel with just enough process, checks and balances to ensure due diligence.

4. Even if we accurately appraise the situation and select an appropriate response might be hindered in executing the response because of the lack of agility in our organization.  Processes and procedures are in place to ensure that budgets are properly planned in advance, tracked, activities are planned and monitored and ‘err’ efficient.

Layers upon layers of beaurocracy can grow in large organizations that hinder agility.  Stripping away as much of this as possible results in a more streamlined, efficient and responsive company, more fit for purpose in today’s fast moving market.