Pub. 2 Issue 1

VIRGINIA AUTO DEALER www.vada.com 4 W hile exponential change is always moving, business- es and even whole indus- tries traditionally move slower than they should, often finding themselves disrupted and working hard at being agile alone. During the Coronavirus pandemic, all industries were disrupted in one way or another, many having to close their doors for the time being and forfeit growth and profits they make from in-person customers. Pandemic or not, the escalating exponen- tial pace of disruption and change should not be surprising. The Three Digital Accelerators of exponential change I first wrote about way back in 1983, which include computing/processing power, digital storage and bandwidth, continue to create a predictable path that takes us to transformation. Given the initial slow pace of exponential change, it makes sense that agility is the established tool of many organizations — the act of reaction. Moreover, many or- ganizations see agility as the single most important strategy to use when dealing with digital disruption. Agility Isn’t Enough Exponential change has reached a tipping point that creates problems and disruptions in both number and magni- tude faster than agile organizations can handle. Organizations being disrupted by digital technology clearly indicate that agility alone is not as useful as it was when exponential change was moving more slowly. Agility can only slow down the speed with which you fall behind, like a race car driver closely following the leader without making a move to pass. Being agile doesn’t lend itself to innova- tion, particularly the sort of game-chang- ing innovation that every organization strives for. As soon as COVID-19 was starting to hit the United States, and prior to the lockdown, movie theaters in several states began to pivot by way of hosting drive-in movies in their parking lots, while drive-in concerts hosted by artists such as country singer Keith Urban are the music counterpart to the drive-in movie experience. What Is Agility Good For? Given the profound stage of exponential change we are currently in, the reactive nature of agility still provides value for organizations and individuals. The abili- ty to be agile is a key strategy to have, as there are always going to be unpredict- able problems that demand rapid solu- tions and other challenges that require quick analysis and response. It’s important to keep agility in a proper context; it is the ideal strategy for un- predictable change and reacting quickly after a change occurs. Essentially, avoid using agility as the panacea for change and innovation that many organizations assume it is; it’s just another way to pro- tect the status quo. What Is Anticipation? While agility remains vital in some ways, it needs to be balanced with a new key strategy— anticipation. If you want to be- come the disruptor and turn change into game-changing opportunity, you must anticipate what’s to come. My Anticipatory Organization Model has proven itself over time and is geared to showing organizations and individuals how to anticipate the future and make bold moves by turning disruption and Agility and Anticipation— A Vital Partnership By Daniel Burrus