Agility makes the difference

"Good morning, Mr. Managing Director." "Good morning, Mr. Meier. How are you?" "Yes, thank you ... but while I'm looking at you: I just had an idea how we could assemble this part here more easily." The colleague from production explains his idea to the managing director. The production manager joins in.

What would happen in your company now?

Agility is about the business

Would the production manager whistle at Mr. Meier half an hour later that he should come to him first next time? After all, he is his direct superior. Or would the three of them calmly talk through whether Mr. Meier's idea is actually a good one and should be implemented?

What is the difference? In the first case, it's about rituals and games, about insisting on rules and fixed hierarchies. In the second case, it's about the cause, about making the company perhaps one small step more successful.

Personally, I'm clearly in favor of the second option. And that's why I feel so comfortable at allsafe, because everyone here sees it the same way. If a colleague from another department has a great product idea, then as a product manager I'm happy about the great idea and think together with him about exactly how we could do it. I don't sit in the corner sulking because the idea came from him and not from me, because product development is my department and he should stay out of it.

That's what agility means to me. In an agile company, it's not about adhering to departmental boundaries and observing responsibilities, but about developing a successful product.

Agility seeks opportunities

Another example: At our trade show booth, I wanted to show a crate with defective load securing devices to draw attention to our repair service. So I called our production planner and asked him if he could provide me with such a crate.

What would happen in your company now?

Would the production manager ask: "And then what do I send to the customer who is waiting for the repaired parts? New parts? I'd have to ask the boss first. There's no way to book all that cleanly either! Is that really necessary?"

Or would he say, "Okay, I'll put the next box aside for you. The customer gets new parts at the repair price. The broken parts are returned to the process after the trade show. I'll save the cost center discussion, and excessive back-and-forth booking, too."

What is the difference? In the first case, the production manager focuses on the obstacles and blocks. In the second variant, he thinks about what's possible, looks for options and then decides right away - without consulting the boss. That is agility. Agility is a mindset. And a company is agile when it creates space for this mindset.

Matthias King

PS: If you, too, have examples from your company of the big difference agility makes - or what it's like when it's missing - write me at matthias.koenig@allsafe-group.com!

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