People in the digital age

Organization in a Digital Age, we argued that an agile & lean organization is a successful concept in the age of digitalization.

But what does this mean for me as a person and do I benefit from it?

An Agile & Lean organization invests in people - not in formal hierarchies and not just in profit maximization. It acts according to shared principles and values and creates a common direction to which each individual can contribute. This perspective gives us stability and security as people.

The following principles (see "Toyota Way to Lean Leadership" by Jeffrey Liker) are suitable guidelines for how we act in such an organization:

• Self-development means internalizing and understanding Agile & Lean principles and living them through continuous learning cycles.

• Coaching and developing others means recognizing and promoting potential in others.

• Supporting continuous improvement means developing skills in the organization through continuous improvement.

• Creating a common direction means creating a vision of the "true north" and a common goal orientation - both horizontally and vertically.

These guidelines create an environment in which we as human beings are intrinsically motivated to act (see "Drive" by Dan Pink).

In an Agile & Lean organization, people gain a high degree of creative freedom and can contribute authentically without fear of being judged for it. Frederic Laloux refers to this as "Wholeness" (see "Reinventing Organizations" by Frederic Laloux).

So if I want to get involved, how do I do that?

Use the resulting free space for your personal design:

• Be committed.
• Be open to experiments and feedback.
• Continue to develop based on the experiences you have had and the goals you have together.
• Set a good example and take the lead from time to time.

See yourself as part of something bigger:

• You are part of a team.
• You are part of a unit.
• You are part of an organization.

By combining many individual perspectives, a picture emerges of where you stand today and where opportunities lie for the future. The patterns of a Lean & Agile organization support you in this:

• Empowerment is written in capital letters; the supporting idea is the team in which the individual is involved
  • Investments are made in building meaningful teams and their stability.
  • There is a philosophy of joint creation and joint responsibility.
  • There is a culture that encourages experimentation; decisions are made on the basis of the knowledge gained.
• Interaction is a top priority
  • We are transparent, open and respectful in our dealings with one another.
  • Communication and synchronization across teams are actively promoted.

And what is the conclusion?

At wibas, we believe that many new opportunities arise for people in a digital age.

When an organization develops into a Lean & Agile organization, this is a path that all those involved shape together.

The question remains, which everyone must answer for themselves in their own personal context: What is this brave new world for me? An opportunity or a challenge?

David and Sascha