Recently we have heard a shift in the narrative around successful business strategy which you may have picked up on, too! Words like agility are shifting to adaptability, phrases like predict the future are being replaced with prepare for the unexpected. Risks (and opportunities) are becoming harder to identify, let alone prepare for and manage appropriately, and so business leaders are now building teams with new skill sets. Teams which are resilient to change and who see risk as an opportunity for action, rather than a deterrent.
The reasons for this shift are more varied, complex and longer-reaching than the Covid-19 Pandemic, though that has certainly played a big part. There is plenty of content and research being published about this shift in business strategy, and so we wondered how Planview AdaptiveWork customers were addressing this with their own teams to ensure they were “Future Fit” and “Change Resilient”.
In this video, a few of our customers share their personal experiences in creating a team culture which embraces uncertainty. As well as what some of the broader changes their organization is going through.
There are lots of considerations to keep in mind and they talk about many of them. Take “scale” for example – does the process, workflow and systems allow the business to grow and change as needed? Another is how to identify and measure the value of the work each team is delivering – not just short-term value, but also looking into the future and establishing processes which provide long-term value for the company. They also discuss tips & tricks in hiring team members who thrive on change, including what skills to look for and how to foster and develop those skills.
While watching this video, you may have picked up on a few key themes. ADP for example mentioned how they are very focused on doing work which provides value to the organization at any point in time, but in addition to that, they are also taking that workflow/process/project and asking themselves “What does this look like in one year or in three years?” Doing so keeps the team flexible and agile enough to shift resources when change occurs.
Ekin is focused on scale, as the main challenge at Publicis Groupe is how to roll out their solution to the widest set of users possible – which means tens of thousands. Uncertainty is a constant element in how they operate, simply by nature of the media agency business model. In order to maximize the number of users who can quickly benefit from their systems, the Technology team at Publicis looks to build a “one size fits most” solution, which is admittedly a challenge but they meet that challenge head on with some actionable strategies.
For Cisco Capital, they started as a traditional hardware company, but a lot has changed since Cisco’s inception. Aimee speaks about how the evolution of Cisco’s business to include software and services has resulted in a fast paced, highly cross-functional organization. In terms of her team, she looks to hire people who are flexible, have an open mind-set and who are always hungry to learn new things.
Here is some background on each of the customer guests for more context.
Aimee Shea, Director of PMO at Cisco Capital: Aimee leads the PMO which sits within the larger strategy & product development team at Cisco Capital. Cisco Capital resides within the larger finance function within Cisco, Inc. which is a separate entity and fully owned by Cisco Systems. They operate a lot like a bank and have different regulatory expectations. Their primary function is to provide financing for Cisco customers and partners, and they do that by providing traditional financing solutions and extended payment terms in over 100 countries.
Ekin Caglar, Head of Technology at Publicis Groupe: Publicis is the world’s third largest communications group. They operate hundreds of ad agencies, media agencies, and data & tech companies around the world. Their customers are the largest brands on the planet. Publicis has around 85,000 employees, and the Technology team creates software using Planview AdaptiveWork and SAP for all those people’s internal use.
Kyle Stockwell, Director of PMO at ADP Enterprise Learning: ADP is a comprehensive global provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions. They help companies unite and simplify their HR payroll, talent, time, tax and benefit administration needs with innovative technologies. The Enterprise Learning division and their PMO sit within the global shared services team, which reports directly to the CEO.
