Are you and your organization well equipped for rapidly changing and challenging times? "Chaos" is more than likely to prevail in your own workplace. Make flexibility a priority, both in the systems you establish and in your behaviour and that of the people who work for you.
How flexible is your company?
The flexibility of a company depends on its ability to meet seven requirements. Assess the flexibility of your own organization by answering the questions below relating to these seven needs. Answer on a scale from 1 to 5 where number 5 represents "always", 4 "often", 3 "sometimes", 2 "rarely", and 1 "never". Compare your results with the analysis that follows.
* Does the company respond fast and well to the customer?
* Does it innovate in all areas?
* Is the innovation fast-paced?
* Is everybody treated in a flexible, empowering way?
* Do the organization and its staff welcome change?
* Does management communicate and share an inspiring vision?
* Are support systems and controls simple and effective?
Analysis
A maximum score of 35 is very unlikely, while a score below 28 is unacceptable and indicates that there are improvements to be made. Look at the questions for which you scored between 1 and 4, and work towards converting them to a 5.
Size matters
You will probably find, as Peters suggests, that the larger your organization, the less likely it is to meet the seven requirements for flexibility. But small companies are not without fault, either. Mistreating customers, innovating seldom and slowly, disempowering people, resisting change, functioning without any vision of the future, and operating by strict, oppressive, and often ridiculous controls are common to all types of organization.
If your ideal is to work in a flexible environment (as it should be), do not be inflexible yourself. Be open to innovation, commit to change, respond to customer needs, and build on small but firm foundations.
