By John E. Park, D.Ed.

The National Football League recently held its annual rookie draft in Philadelphia. It was a life-changing opportunity for many young men. Only a handful of those selected in the draft will go on to have lengthy and successful NFL careers. Before the draft, teams looked at all the measurable factors of the potential draft picks, including height, weight, and speed. However, they also looked for intangibles, such as attitude, ability to respond to stressful situations, and work ethic.

When we think about successful leaders and organizations, there are key success factors that are identifiable and can help us predict business performance. There are also intangible factors that contribute to success and aren’t easily measured or apparent at a surface level. Responding to change falls into that second category. How we deal with and manage change is a key success factor in organizational performance. Nimble organizations and leaders that can pivot and adapt to change will have a positive impact and position themselves for success.

Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations face significant changes related to the economy, technology, customer/stakeholder expectations, and an evolving workforce. The ability to fulfill the missions of our organizations and to be financially sustainable is becoming more complicated. As organizations confront these challenges, it is important to remain nimble and responsive.

The following set of best practices are focused on how organizations and their leaders can adapt to change and remain nimble in a changing environment:

• Practice continuous improvement
  • Teach, learn, and model key behaviors
  • Create positive individual and organizational habits
• Manage your response to change
  • Understand your paradigms and blind spots
  • Recognize that to be nimble you must have engaged leaders and staff
• Stay true to your vision and values
  • Do not sacrifice who you are to become someone or something else
  • Strive for positive growth

The following questions can help leaders focus on continuous improvement:

• What are your key success factors and metrics?
• What organizational and personal habits do you need to add or eliminate?
• With whom should you connect or build stronger relationships?

We all recognize that change is inevitable. But you can be a game changer by focusing on positive improvements, acknowledging and addressing barriers and challenges, facilitating continuous learning and growth throughout the organization, and paying attention to coworkers, family, friends, and your community.

Paying attention to your customers, community, and staff through the development of open and systematic communications channels will help you to adapt and grow during times of change. The ability to respond to change in a systematic and timely manner is characteristic of successful and sustainable organizations and their leaders.

John E. Park, D.Ed., a director with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP, focuses on leadership development, emotional intelligence, and strategic planning. He can be reached at john.park@bakertilly.com.