Join us on the CXO Talk show with Kalpana Singhal as we dive into the world of Agility at Scale: Transforming large Enterprises for the Digital Era.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, agility is the key to staying competitive and responsible. Our special guest, Mr. Sunil Mundra, an organization change and transformation leader and CXO advisor from Thoughtworks, enlighten us with strategies and insights on how to transform large organizations into agile powerhouses.
Mr. Mundra differentiates between agile practices and agility, emphasizing that agility is a set of capabilities that every enterprise needs. He will highlight the three core capabilities: the ability to sense, adapt, and respond. Remember, agile practices are just a part of achieving overall agility.
Scaling agile practices is not the same as enhancing agility. Mr. Mundra suggests starting with adopting agile ways of working in one part of the organization and learning from it before scaling to other areas. He also emphasizes the first principles of agility, such as fast feedback, transparency, collaboration, focus on customer value, and alignment on outcomes.
For IT decision makers and the CIO community, being agile means delivering solutions that meet customer needs, understanding business priorities, embracing change, and delivering value efficiently. Collaboration between IT and the business is crucial, ensuring the cost of change remains transparent and minimal.
To synchronize agility across the organization, leaders must align different functions towards common outcomes. This requires a mindset shift and accountability for all departments, including compliance, risk, legal, and security. All departments should have a stake in achieving overall business goals.
Cultivating a culture of adaptability is essential. Leaders must reduce friction, align priorities and outcomes, establish common success criteria, and serve as role models. By influencing behaviors and reducing friction, leaders can drive cultural change and overcome obstacles to agility.
Mr. Mundra shares success stories and case studies of organizations that have effectively scaled agility. He highlights that continual improvement, rather than perfection, should be the focus. Microsoft, ING Bank, and successful Southeast Asian organizations serve as inspiring examples.
For starting your own digital transformation journey, Mr. Mundra advises CEOs to elevate the technology function to a strategic level and for CIOs to become thought partners with the business. CIOs should align with the business and focus on delivering better, faster, and more valuable outcomes. Separate the IT function into “Run” and “Build” parts to avoid limiting technology’s potential.
In conclusion, agility is vital in the digital era.
