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The accelerated change we’re experiencing today requires improvisation rather than rigid adherence to traditional ways of doing things. As a result, having an adaptive culture is becoming increasingly critical.
Creating an adaptive organizational culture allows a company to bend and pivot rather than breaking when confronting change on any scale. Adopting an adaptive culture framework will drive organizational growth in the face of sweeping changes. Read on to learn how that framework will benefit your organization, and how to create it.
Traditional organizational culture involves top-down (and often complex) decision-making. Change typically happens slowly through cumbersome processes. In contrast, in an adaptive corporate culture, employees are empowered to drive change. They can respond in the moment to emerging issues their organization is confronting.
For example, Delta, General Motors, and Unilever all adapted early on in the pandemic by using agile management principles, notes HBR. This often meant unleashing new products in weeks rather than months. Within a month, GM had designed factory lines capable of making ventilators. These organizations solved problems so quickly during a turbulent time because they let teams swiftly try out new ideas that they came up with themselves.
Adopting an adaptive culture brings significant benefits:
Now, let’s examine key aspects of an adaptive culture.
What elements do adaptive cultures have in common?
Next, we’ll look at how to actually begin implementing an adaptive culture.
Here are nine design principles to follow in creating an adaptive culture.
Have flexible teams that can reform across functions as needed. State a clear protocol for organizing around a specific project. Encourage flexibility on an individual level, too, promoting job shadowing and cross-training.
Give teams access to the right resources—and make sure they know where to find them.
Setting strategic priorities will fuel an adaptive culture. Make overarching missions and goals crystal-clear. Similarly, ask managers to discuss a core problem at hand with their employees and then encourage the team to figure out the best approach.
Show your confidence in your teams, and make sure your managers are transparent and supportive.
There are actually three types of autonomy, says the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM):
Employees don’t necessarily want full autonomy, and that may not be feasible for organizations anyway. But they can have a high level of autonomy in how they plan and carry out their projects.
Create opportunities for employees to network, which can foster new ideas. These interactions can happen in both formal and informal settings (like meetings and casual chats over coffee).
Even if you don’t ultimately implement them, taking note of great ideas will build employees’ confidence. At the same time, don’t inadvertently penalize failed attempts—instead, show appreciation for the effort made.
Ask employees to share insights about what went well, or what didn’t. This will deepen their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Rather than just giving directions, managers should share feedback on employees’ ideas. Employees can build and grow from that feedback.
When you’ve established the right framework, change will fuel your growth rather than holding you back. Your adaptive organizational culture will allow your company to thrive in the face of big and small changes, transforming in positive ways.