Small Steps for a Giant Leap: Flexible Organization

In today’s volatile and turbulent business environment, it is widely espoused to create a flexible organization in order to enhance organizational effectiveness. Though much is expressed about ‘what a flexible organization is’ and ‘what types of flexibilities it should exhibit in its operations’, very little guidance is available about ‘how to create it’. This article is about highlighting small steps that coupled together would lead to a giant leap in the form of a flexible organization overtime. The fundamental basis of contemplating flexibility is learning. Another step to create a flexible organization is to carry out experimentation with flexible practices and activities in different spheres. Yet another level of taking steps or flexibility initiatives is on the front of processes and their interfaces. Ultimately, with the base of flexible processes and actors, the organization might delve into the domain of strategic flexibility. A flexible organization in its own right with respect to its actors, processes and strategies might not be enough until it transcends the flexibility in the whole value chain and the ecosystem. Creating a flexible organization is a collective and reflective process that can be adopted in an iterative and evolutionary manner.