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In the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the world. Countries went into lockdown and people stayed home for months. Work shifted online with most organizations instituting a work from home setup. Employees had no option but to adapt to these changes. People realized that keeping up with the demands of this new era requires an agile and flexible approach. They learned new skills and formed new habits to succeed in rapidly changing scenarios.
This is where business agility comes into the picture. If you want to keep up with rapidly changing scenarios and new demands you need to know how to overcome challenges, face your fears and develop business agility. Let’s find out more about business agility in the next sections.
What Is Business Agility?
For businesses and individuals, the meaning of business agility is to recognize the need of the hour and adjust accordingly. Whether it’s keeping up with marketplace changes or meeting customer demands, every business needs to incorporate a dynamic business strategy. For an individual, business agility comprises changing jobs, seeking new opportunities and overcoming setbacks at work.
Overcoming Setbacks, Failures And Mistakes
Harappa Education’s Embracing Change course outlines the difference between setbacks, mistakes and failures. It’s important to recognize these differences to overcome them:
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A setback is an unexpected challenge
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A mistake is an error on your part
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Failure is when you are unable to do a task and you give up
If you don’t want to be left behind, you have to continue learning from your mistakes and failures. Just because you face a setback doesn’t mean you have to give up. There will always be challenges in your path to success, but learning to deal with them effectively will lead you to your goals. Even if you have to change your action plan and reassess your goals, you should have the bandwidth to accommodate setbacks, mistakes and failures.
The key to adopting an agile outlook is using your strengths in a way that helps you advance in your career and persevere against all odds. Let’s explore a few examples of business agility.
Examples Of Business Agility
In a dynamic business environment, you will come across several instances where you will be required to have business agility. Here are a few examples:
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Financial changes like budgeting, cutting costs and layoffs to keep up with market changes
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Expanding the production line to meet customer demands
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Adopting new technology to stay abreast with digital transformations
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Losing a job due to unforeseen circumstances like a global pandemic
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Investing in new opportunities for professional growth like going back to school
There are many other circumstances in which you will be required to adapt to changes. Some of these are unexpected, while others may be planned. You can prepare for such changes so that you can withstand any turbulence in your professional life. Let’s discuss how.
How To Develop Business Agility
As an individual, developing an agile frame of mind will help you sail through setbacks. Adjusting to changes takes time, patience and effort. Pushing yourself to persevere even if you feel like giving up. This will help you take charge of your life and make good decisions.
Here are a few ways for an individual to develop business agility:
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Prioritize Your Goals
Prioritizing your goals is one way to build agility. Doing this will give you a clear picture of what you need to do to reach your goals. This way, even if you face a setback or experience failures, you’ll get right back up because you have the long-term goal in mind. It’s important to keep pushing and encouraging yourself to never lose heart.
For example, if you have to prioritize your health over work, you must do whatever it takes for you to get back on the right track—even if it means taking a well-deserved break from work.
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Build Your Network
A strong network will support and guide you through difficult times. You can lean on others for their help when the going gets tough. (Cymbalta)
For example, you may decide to take a job on the side to ease your financial burden or you may realize you need a mentor to offer you professional advice. Your network can help you adapt to changes by offering solutions when you’re unable to find any.
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Educate Yourself On Ongoing Changes
Being agile is possible only when you’re aware of what’s going on. Educating yourself on the business landscape and new opportunities will make it easier for you to make a transition and adapt to changes.
You could be starting a business, investing money or buying a house. To make informed decisions and increase your chances of success, you need to know all the facts.
There is no one way to pursue your goals. Life takes unexpected twists and turns. It’s important to hold on to your dreams even if there are setbacks. Your path may change and it may take longer to achieve your goals, but you’ll still make progress if you have business agility.
Harappa Education’s Embracing Change is a high-impact online course that will teach you how to deal with setbacks, mistakes and failures. Learn all about risks and dealing with stress from our expert faculty. Remember that as long as you are committed to moving ahead, you can do anything you want.
Explore topics such as Change Management, Change Management Process and Change Management Strategies on Harappa Diaries and learn how to achieve personal and professional goals.
