Many of us might already be tired (or even annoyed) by the buzzword “agility”. But actually it is such an important concept and skill we all should be applying.
So let’s take a look at it:
Being agile at work means being able to adapt to change. Seeing new opportunities even if challenges arise. And well, we don’t need to emphasize that change has become the new normal in our work life. At least since Corona we constantly need to adapt to new rules and deal with new situations. And because of that, being agile and applying that in our job will save us from a lot of headaches.
So how can we develop and strengthen our agility?
Get your mindset into it
First things first. We know that agility is the solution. Now we only need to convince our mind of it. There is no constant anymore and change accompanies us all the time – so let’s accept that and try to see beauty in it. If things change constantly it also means that we will constantly learn and develop ourselves. We will find out new things about ourselves and grow as individuals in our professional and personal lifes (I promise it will never get boring again). So let our minds get used to the idea that change is not a bad thing and that we can and will master it.
Find opportunities to learn
Learning is what makes us expand and grow. If we apply an agile mindset at work, we will actually try to take on challenges that we didn’t dare to in the past. We will try out new things and approach old problems in a new way. And yes, this can be scary, but it certainly will always lead us on one path: the learning path. Because no matter if we succeed or not, on the way there we will see and experience things we would have missed if we didn’t try it out. So let’s start saying yes to those new challenges.
Curiosity needs to become your best friend
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
And well, we all know that curiosity worked out pretty well for Albert Einstein. It is curiosity that allows us to explore and be able to discover new things. It is curiosity that can show us new roads and teach us new ways of doing things. So at work, remain curious. Ask questions. Challenge things that are not working.
Remember that change is a good thing and our curiosity will lead us to new opportunities.
Keep that feedback coming in
We all should be open to giving and receiving feedback. It is the only (or at least the fastest) way to improve ourselves. Many times we might have a different perspective of our performance than outsiders, that is why we should never wait for too long before we ask our colleagues or our boss for feedback. Remember that using agility means we want to learn and we want to embrace change – and feedback is the right way to get there.
Apply what your learned
Ok, this sounds obvious but it still is kind of the hardest part. It is not enough to only learn something new but we actually need to apply it to be able to use its full potential. That is why once you learn something new, you need to implement it over and over again until it becomes part of your habits. Search for opportunities that allow you to apply your learnings within your job and if these don’t appear, start creating them by talking to your manager or colleagues about new challenges to take on.
Happy staying agile!
