DYNAMISM
Organisational agility
Dileep Mudadeniya
Sharing his view on what ‘dynamism’ means to him, Dileep Mudadeniya says: “The only constant in life is change. Embrace it; and allow yourself to grow and evolve! True dynamism comes from the willingness to adapt and courage to take risks.”
“Overall, dynamism in an organisation is about creating a culture of flexibility, innovation and continuous learning, whereby employees are empowered to take risks and adapt to changing circumstances,” he explains.
Mudadeniya cites the classic example of United Airlines, which changed its strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged as one of the most profitable airlines. The airline adopted a flexible strategy to manage the pandemic induced recession and rebound, making way to expand or contract quickly, or even pivot in a different direction.
This organisational agility is what makes for a dynamic organisation, he stresses. Moreover, such companies focus on building agile work environments with a shared consciousness across and within teams – as opposed to a silo approach, which hinders speedy responses.
“Having all employees understand the purpose of the organisation is vital to demonstrating such dynamism,” he adds.
A dynamic organisation is characterised by agility, innovation, collaboration and a willingness to embrace change. Elaborating on this trend of thought, Mudadeniya says: “By cultivating these key ingredients, businesses can create a culture that fosters creativity, innovation and growth.”
In addition, he believes that vision and purpose are critical, asserting that “a clear and compelling vision with purpose can help to inspire and motivate employees, and provide direction for the organisation as a whole.”
This means that companies have to be responsive and proactive to change and trends, and not be merely reactive by nature, Mudadeniya cautions.
This could possibly involve shifting the goalposts so as to preempt change. However, these goals and objectives need to be clearly communicated to the entire team to ensure that everyone is pulling in the same direction.
He also cites strong leadership as being another key asset since effective leadership is essential for creating a dynamic organisation. Leaders who are visionaries, communicators and collaborators can help foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Dynamic corporates usually establish a solid management approach to business. And in Mudadeniya’s opinion, “a management approach that emphasises innovation, collaboration, agility, learning and development, empowerment and accountability can help create a dynamic organisation that adapts and evolves over time.”
He stresses that it’s important to develop processes and systems that are flexible, and can adapt quickly to changing circumstances. This may involve decentralised decision making, rapid prototyping and a willingness to pivot when necessary.
Besides strategy and effective management, a dynamic organisation nurtures employees with distinctive qualities that help sustain dynamism.
Mudadeniya elaborates: “Adaptability, creativity, collaboration, resilience and accountability are the key qualities required to sustain dynamism. Creative employees in particular can generate new ideas and think outside the box. They’re willing to take risks and experiment with new approaches to solve problems.”
Delving deeper into the concept of dynamism, he adds: “An additional thought to consider is the importance of diversity and inclusion in creating a dynamic organisation. Diversity of thought, background and experience can lead to more innovative solutions – and better decision making.”
“By embracing diversity and inclusion, organisations can create a dynamic environment where employees feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work and contribute to its success,” he asserts.
As Mudadeniya says, greater diversity would help build a team with various domains of expertise and interest, which can reconcile and resolve different points of view with agility.
