How adaptable is my company?

Dr. Bayas-Linke, what does adaptability actually mean to you and why is it clearly important for companies to be so?

The world is constantly undergoing change. That is nothing new. The novelty lies more in the speed of change and the increase in complexity. New competitors, individual customer needs, crises, social currents, disruptions, fragile supply chains, a wide range of business models or hybrid organizations – all these are possible responses we receive from our customers. Adaptability has been a highly relevant topic for companies not only since Corona, and a lacking of it can sometimes threaten a company’s very existence.

If adaptability is so important, how can I determine where we are as a company and whether we are also able to meet these changed challenges?

The first step is for companies or executives to address this issue. And this question troubles some, explicitly or by causing inner insecurity. We have noticed this more and more in customer projects. We have therefore turned greater attention to this topic and developed the “Self-Check for Change Readiness,” which provides an initial assessment of your own ability to change.

How does this initial self-assessment work?

The “Self-Check for Change Readiness” is based on an open and honest self-assessment. A relevant theoretical basis and models were used as a guide. Based on this, Staufen designed a heuristic that takes into account nine key dimensions of adaptability, e.g., organizational mindfulness, the design of decision-making processes or an organization’s ability to learn as a whole. In the first step, the company classifies the relevance of the dimension for its own business. Not all dimensions are equally important for all industries, market, and environmental conditions. This gives each company the opportunity to define its own relevance network. In the second step, the dimensions are reviewed again, each with four sub-questions, and the current proficiency is estimated – and as honestly as possible, since it is initially only for the company itself.

What is the result and what can I do with it?

As a result, you will have two spider web graphs: a benchmark and your self-assessment. You will also receive three recommended measures for each dimension, depending on your score. And then it is your turn. Take a closer look at the dimensions and their characteristics. Are the instructions for action coherent and can be carried out? If relevant issues arise there, one option is to broaden perspectives and approach possible sparring partners in the company to compare further results. Another option is to discuss and reflect on the results with management.

Does that mean I can use this as a recommendation to stimulate an internal discussion and get on the right path?

Exactly. The recommendation can also be used to start an internal dialog and take a closer look at where you need to become more adaptable in order to remain responsive. It is always exciting to see how different the self-assessments are within the same company. But that is also a good thing, because you get to talk about differences, which can be helpful.