Consulting and Capability Development
Framework for Instilling 'Skilled Flexibility'
Three key focus areas to instill flexibility
Clarity, Collaboration, Capability
Organizational flexibility is best achieved when leaders in the organization attend to three focus areas – creating clarity, practicing collaboration, and enhancing capability.
The focus areas are contained in the Flex-C3 framework as modules and supported by tools and methods for use. Skillful application of the framework help strengthen the core muscles of the organization enabling flexibility, coordination, endurance, responsiveness, and performance.
Each of the focus areas are briefly defined below:
Create Clarity
Where leaders in the organization communicate a clear sense of direction – vision, mission, and collaborative values – on an ongoing basis so employees can see how the work they do each day contributes to the bigger picture. If the existing vision, mission, or values of the organization need to be refreshed, support is provided to achieve that.
Clarity of direction provides employees with meaning and fulfillment in their work, which enhances commitment.
Practice Collaboration
Where leaders in the organization are active role models of collaborative behaviors, e.g., reaching out to employees, engaging in brief conversations, asking questions, listening, responding, affirming, etc., on an ongoing basis. Periodic town hall meetings and large and small group sessions to share information and sense feedback also promote collaboration.
When employees witness executives as active role models bringing collaborative values to life, their sense of belonging in the organization is enhanced and they feel connected with their managers and leaders, which contributes to improved commitment.
Enhance Capability
The focus here is on enhancing skills and abilities for solving complex challenges that arise in the face of uncertainty and change. Skills training is customized based on the situation and the needs of each organization. Employees engage in hands-on experience preferably on a real-life situation, and go through the steps involved with solving unfamiliar challenges. They openly share perspectives and assumptions, work through the tension as perspectives collide, and make optimized decisions working together in a systematic way.
With success, their confidence level and skills in solving complex challenges together is greatly enhanced and they are better prepared to take on the next unfamiliar or unanticipated challenge.
Assessing where attention is needed
Use of tools and methods
I use tools and methods to assess where attention is needed along the three modules relative to clarity, collaboration, and capability. The results are used to design and share a proposal on what it will take and how the organization can best instill flexibility.
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