The future is agile and organizations must play by new rules in the world of VUCA: Those who want to remain successful in the future, don’t just have to handle change, they have to be able to manage it. It is about finding a balance between stability and flexibility; adapting but holding on to the corporate identity, it is about constantly learning. Learn more about change management, the 5 success factors and 7 learning disabilities, to master the agile future.
The future is agile and organizations must play by new rules in the world of VUCA: Those who want to remain successful in the future, don’t just have to handle change, they have to be able to manage it. It is about finding a balance between stability and flexibility; adapting but holding on to the corporate identity, it is about constantly learning. Learn more about change management, the 5 success factors and 7 learning disabilities, to master the agile future.
Constant change has become a norm in our everyday work life. You cannot stop it and you cannot slow it down – the art is managing change. Factors that are causing the constant change include:
Change management is about putting new strategies into place, adapting structures and behaviors und implementing changes successfully. The challenge is the constant observation of the current situation which must always be controlled, making a quick reaction possible when needed. In addition, learning is a crucial aspect. Only those who continuously learn, can stay competitive – the same thing goes for organizations.
While many organizations acknowledge change, only few take the initiative to react. Often, the problem is the fact that organization don’t know how.
The fiths discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization
Change Management and learning go hand in hand. The ability to not just learn quicker, but also more efficiently than the competition, is one of the greatest competitive advantages in today’s market. In the book The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization author Peter Senge explains which factors enable an organization to learn, which weaknesses hold them back and how old thinking patterns can be replaced by innovative ones.
Generally, there are two different levels when it comes to Senge’s disciplines: the personal one, which focuses on challenging your own thinking patters, reflecting upon your behavior and continuously dedicating yourself to develop personally. The other level, the organizational level, focuses on teams and a shared vision. The five disciplines that enable organizations to learn are defined as:
The fifth discipline, systems thinking, is the discipline that combines all the other disciplines and functions as corner stone.
It is easier said than done: To deal with change, you don’t just have to think flexible, but also inclusive and dynamic. The reality often looks different though. Especially in organizations, mistakes are not easily admitted, learning processes are not prioritized and the danger of potential change is ignored, until it is too late. Peter Senge defines 7 learning disabilities:
(When you throw a frog into a pot with boiling water, he will fight to survive. If you put him into a pot with cold water and slowly warm it up, he will fall asleep eventually and not even notice his slow death)
The world of VUCA is not turning slowly and you must master the agile future. Therefore, constant developments, on a personal as well as organizational level, are the foundation for successful change management. Not only self-reflection and team building are important, but also questioning the fundamental systems of organizations.