Transcript
Speaker: Kelly
[Slide displayed: What does an agile business look like? The slide compares agile and non-agile businesses. Agile businesses monitor change continuously, respond quickly to challenges and opportunities, listen to customers regularly, test and improve constantly, and adapt when conditions change. Non-agile businesses wait for problems before planning ahead, react slowly to change, rarely gather customer feedback, resist testing new ideas, and rely heavily on one person. The slide also states: “Agile businesses don’t try to predict everything, they build the ability to adapt.”]
Welcome back. At the start of this workshop, we looked at what it meant to be an agile business. As a reminder, we discussed the difference between non-agile businesses and agile businesses.
Non-agile businesses wait for problems before planning ahead, react slowly to change, rarely gather customer feedback, resist testing new ideas, and heavily rely on one person.
We also looked at what it means to be an agile business. Those that monitor change continuously, respond quickly to challenges and opportunities, listen to customers regularly, have their finger on the pulse in the market, test and improve constantly, and adapt when conditions change.
You also completed a self-assessment on the level of agility in your business. Now that you've completed this workshop, how would you rate your business? What areas have changed? And how confident are you now in adapting to change?
How to build agility
Speaker: Kelly
[Slide changes to How to Build Agility. The slide lists key principles: Put the customer first through listening, gathering feedback, and adapting to customer needs; communicate openly by sharing information and encouraging feedback; use data and insights to monitor performance and identify changes early; and empower teams by encouraging learning, problem-solving, and experimentation.]
Remember that agility requires designing operational processes, a team culture, and a leadership style that facilitates and encourages change and innovation.
It's about putting the customer first. It's listening. It's gathering feedback. And it's adapting to customer needs.
It's communicating openly, sharing information, and encouraging feedback.
It's using data and insights, monitoring performance, and identifying changes early.
And most importantly, in my opinion, it's about empowering your teams, encouraging learning, problem-solving, experimentation in a place of psychological safety.
Building agility exercise
Speaker: Kelly
[Slide changes to Building Agility. Exercise #14 asks participants to discuss other ways they may be able to build agility into their business. Considerations listed are: internal team, external team or experts, processes (manufacturing, sales, business, etc.), communication, and technology.]
Considering everything we have run through in this workshop, you now have the opportunity to brainstorm other ways you may be able to build agility into your business.
Consider things like internal teams, external teams or experts, processes, communication, and technology.
Pause this video, complete this exercise, and we will see you back here soon.
Reflection and workshop wrap-up
Speaker: Kelly
[Slide changes to Reflection Questions. The slide asks: What changes or risks feel most important to your business? What opportunities or strengths could help you adapt? What is one area where your business could become more agile or resilient? What is one practical action you could take in the next 1–2 weeks? The slide also notes: “Small actions taken early are often easier than reacting under pressure later.”]
This brings us to the end of the Adapting to Change workshop.
You've now worked through a range of exercises to help you spot market changes, the opportunities and pivots that could be associated with them.
You've identified risks, mitigation strategies, and started building your business continuity plan. The goal of this workshop was not to be a perfect plan, but to lay the foundation for you to build upon.
Now, let's take a moment to reflect.
What changes or risks feel most important to your business?
What opportunities or strengths could help you adapt?
What is one area where your business could become more agile or resilient?
And most importantly, what is one practical action that you could take in the next one to two weeks?
Put a reminder in your calendar for three months' time to review and update your plan.
Remember, it's about the actions you take now and the plans you build into your business that will allow you to confidently adapt to change.
Workshop conclusion
Speaker: Kelly
Congratulations on completing the Adapting to Change workshop. We hope to see you back here soon.
[Video ends.]