I got the opportunity to attend
an HR conference today organized by NHRDN BBSR Chapter. The speaker for the
evening was an HR veteran with over 20 years of experience in various companies
covering the entire spectrum of offerings starting from IT to manufacturing set
up.
The topic he discussed was very
close to my heart. How an organization needs to be agile in order to adapt to
changing times. I have always been a big promoter of embracing change, and love
to observe the reaction of people to changes that are unexpected. The word that
reverberated the entire hour and half was “Agile”. During these ambiguous times,
with cut throat competition around for any organization, be it small or big,
how can you stay ahead of the game from an organizational perspective? How can
you create the much needed agility in your programs and processes? That was the
whole crux of the talk.
Co-incidentally, today I also got
to hear about a major change, you might call it a paradigm shift of sorts in my
organization. And it was such a pleasant surprise. Although I was expecting
something on these lines since about a month or so, but reading about it in
black and white really reaffirmed my faith in the leadership. Moving with the
times and in sync with the thoughts and aspirations of its people, is what
makes an organization a force to reckon with. And I think, with this first
step, we are very much on our way to challenge the might of say a Google, Apple
or FB, companies which are renowned for their entrepreneurial work environment
and a culture which promotes freedom of speech and expression. A company which listens to what the people
have to say and takes swift action upon it immediately, is the truest example
of an agile organization.
During my MBA days, I read a
book, “Built to last”, it was an essay on various companies over the years that
had some trait or the other which enabled them to withstand the ravages of time
and become world class organizations. And today I can say with utmost pride
that, I am truly privileged to be working in such an organization.
