It’s an organization’s North Star that enables agility in times of change and transformation.
This is the second post in a series of six articles on organizational agility.
We all know that in today’s business world it’s essential to stay flexible and be agile.
But how, as a leader, do your vision and values come into play?
Today, as cycles of technology, market conditions and competitive environments continue to accelerate, being agile means pivoting faster and faster to manage those cycles. But studies of agile transformations show that companies must have a unifying vision, a true North Star, to guide them through the changing environments. Your North Star is more than a mission or values statement—it is how you affirm that statement in everything you do. It’s your purpose.
Leaders must articulate vision and values such that people internalize and make them their own. Authentic values guide creative thinking, problem-solving and innovation. I love hearing an employee say, “I know this is a different way of solving a problem, but I’m doing it because this is what we stand for….” The North Star of such purpose gives guidance when employees talk to customers, analyze problems, reach out to partners and iterate ideas in a fast-cycle agile system.
Unchanging vision creates a context for decision-making when the business context is altered by innovations in technology, business models, changing regulatory landscapes and economic conditions. Unity of purpose sets direction even as destinations (e.g. product offerings, customer segments, business strategy) evolve and change.
If you aren’t sold on this or feel you will get to it later, think again, because vision helps you get where you want to go, so there is never a time to be without it. Here are three more reasons to find and pay attention to your North Star:
- It’s key to keeping people performing and invested
In studies about the value of pay versus purpose, purpose consistently outranks pay in building employee engagement. Meaningful work and connection to purpose is #1; salary is #5.
2. It’s an important lever for creating customer focus and value