Change the tires or drive the car?

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, an IBM talent management expert was talking about responding to today’s magnitude and pace of business change. She then referenced the complexity of simultaneously managing through internal workforce challenges: changing procedures; assessing, hiring and retaining talent; incorporating new technology; applying analytics and improving the employee experience. Offering a great visual for global business leaders in the current environment, she said, “You’re basically changing the tires while you’re driving the car. And yes, that takes agility.”

In this Industry 4.0 environment, where artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, augmented reality, robotics, blockchain technology and the Internet of Things are all influences changing the future of work, “agile” is the preferred state. The organisations that will emerge most strongly will be those that incorporate agile practices, building a workforce of empowered people who can fluidly access information, manage projects and issues, and change course quickly to meet challenge and opportunity.