Organizations Need to Balance Speed and Effectiveness
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Technology is a great thing. It’s also constantly changing and, for effectiveness, we have to stay current with what’s happening. And by “we”, I mean both individuals and organizations. For example, I’ve been seeing articles about Q-day, which is a term used to describe when quantum computers will be able to crack all of the codes currently protecting digital data. Some people are predicting that Q-day could happen as early as 2025.
Today’s article isn’t about Q-day, although we might want to pay attention to that. Today, I wanted to talk about the speed of change, specifically when it comes to technology. Organizations and individuals need to learn not only how to manage change but how to manage it quickly and effectively.
For example, I read an article on Fast Company recently that referenced a survey called Cisco’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Index. Here are a few statistics from the article:
- 97% of respondents said it’s urgent to start using AI
- 95% of respondents said they have an AI strategy in place
- 82% said their boards and leadership teams are receptive to AI
- 68% said their employees are receptive to AI
- 14% said they’re fully prepared to make the transition
I think these numbers tell an interesting story about change and adoption of change. Even if the numbers are off (whether that’s a little or a lot), there’s something to be learned here about change, organizational effectiveness, and the need to get change efforts right.
Getting people onboard is priority number one. Change is hard. Even when we want the change, it’s hard. So, getting people to buy-into doing the work and dealing with the challenge should be step one. For example, when it comes to AI, it’s about getting boards, leadership teams, and employees all involved in the conversation. If boards and leadership teams embrace the change and employees do not … there will be resistance, which doesn’t help anyone.
Once people buy-in, develop a strategy that everyone can live with. Please note: I didn’t say develop a strategy that everyone will love. I also didn’t say that everyone had to like it. But organizations and individuals should be able to commit to living with it. If they don’t, they could potentially undermine the strategy and its effectiveness behind the scenes. Remember, change is hard. If you’re dealing with a fast-moving new technology like artificial intelligence, you want everyone to say they can commit to the strategy.
Learn how to execute well. It’s sad to say but sometimes organizations do a great job of creating policies, procedures, and strategies and a terrible job of executing them. One of my must-have business books is “Execution: The Disciple of Getting Things Done” by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan. Once the strategy is in place and people are committed to it, they need to be given the tools to effectively get it done. That includes training as well as management support.
Artificial intelligence is just one example of the changes that organizations and individuals face. But it’s a great example of how important balancing speed and effectiveness should be. If we don’t start thinking about how do to them both well, organizations could be considered a sloppy early adopter OR a laggard in their industry.
Get buy-in at every level. Create strategies with your key stakeholders. Execute your strategy quickly, effectively, and efficiently.
Banksy image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Atlanta, GA
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