KEY INSIGHTS
In 2019, agile companies remain better performers compared to their peers. The second Agile Performer Index confirms that the most AGILE COMPANIES within an industry are, on average, 1.7 TIMES MORE SUCCESSFUL than their peer group. Agility can still be viewed as a significant competitive advantage and a key to success in a dynamic market environment.
Companies are STRUGGLING TO EMBED AGILE ROUTINES within their organizations.
Despite increased efforts to achieve higher levels of agility, overall agility scores declined from 2017 to 2019. The complexity of an agility transformation is high, and most companies still lack the required change capabilities.
The relation between agility and performance is influenced by the industry’s uncertainty.
On the base of a larger and more diverse sample in the second Agile Performer survey, the role of several agility elements like LEADERSHIP, COMPANY SIZE and INDUSTRY UNCERTAINTY reveal important effects.
Leadership and executive perceptions are key to an agile transformation.
Becoming agile requires EXECUTIVE CLARITY, yet many C-suite leaders still overestimate their organization’s level of agility. However, the perception gap between executives and middle managers is closing and suggests that top management is starting to grasp the efforts required. to achieve higher agility.
An agile transformation journey should always start with an AGILITY FITNESS TEST. While there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for what an agile transformation journey should look like, the survey results point to the importance of a clear assessment of the status quo in the organization itself, ideally in conjunction with peer-group benchmarking to determine how agile competitors are.
There are three basic requirements for a successful AGILE TRANSFORMATION.
To succeed with agile transformations, leadership teams must commit to and understand their new role, create the conditions for change and empowerment in the organization and be more transparent regarding operational and financial information.