Dr. Michael Edmondson - Agility: Management Principles for a Volatile World

Agility

Agility

Management Principles for a Volatile World

Michael Edmondson, PhD

Agility: Management Principles for a Volatile World

Copyright Business Expert Press, LLC, 2021.

Cover design by Charlene Kronstedt

Interior design by Exeter Premedia Services Private Ltd., Chennai, India All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations, not to exceed 400 words, without the prior permission of the publisher.

First published in 2021 by

Business Expert Press, LLC

222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017

www.businessexpertpress.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-95334-944-6 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-95334-945-3 (e-book)

Business Expert Press Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior Collection

Collection ISSN: 1946-5637 (print)

Collection ISSN: 1946-5645 (electronic)

First edition: 2021

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America.

To Amanda, Kiersten, and Jonathan

Description

Agility: Management Principles for a Volatile World fills a tremendous need in the marketplace for a practical set of principles to help managers become more agile. Todays volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world has created a dynamic, ever-changing, and hypercompetitive global marketplace, challenging managers to think differently. The apprehension of the present moment experienced by managers across industries, sectors, and markets demands a new way of understanding the nuances involved with navigating todays chaos to achieve and sustain growth. With the speed of change, disruption, and transformation expected to increase exponentially now is the opportune time for organizations to rethink the common management paradigms of power (we are bigger), speed (we move faster), or force (we can acquire). Agility, more so, than power, speed, or force is the Kairos for managers today. In archery, Kairos, the ancient Greek word for a proper or opportune time for action, denotes the moment in which an arrow may be fired with sufficient force to reach a target. Now is an opportune time for managers to become more agile and shift their position from one of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, or controlling to one of being a curator, architect, conductor, humanist, advocate, and pioneer. This shift from doing to being is paramount for the agile manager. Agility: Management Principles for a Volatile World provides readers with a list of principles associated with each role of the modern agile manager and is required reading for individuals from small to medium-sized businesses, large corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government offices.

Keywords

business; leadership; management; agility; global business

Contents

The Relevance of the Humanities to the 21st Century Workplace
Strategic Thinking and Writing
Success: Theory and Practice
Major in Happiness: Debunking the College Major Fallacies
Marketing Your Value: 9 Steps to Navigate Your Career

Dr. Edmonsons sixth book Agility: Management Principles for a Volatile World is a thought-provoking journey through the Six Functions of the Agile Manager. Each function provides a roadmap for managers on how to navigate in todays unpredictable and highly volatile environment. In retrospect, this book should be a requirement for all managers especially those starting out on their managerial journey.John Donnellan, DPS, MBA, Chair Management Department New Jersey City University School of Business

If youre waiting for things to get back to normal then this book probably isnt the book for you. But, if youre hoping to learn how to adapt your management style for the current reality where the new normal is ever-changing, then you might be ready for this book. If you are ready to question every aspect of the approach, methodology, biases, and deeply held assumptions, that you have about how to be a successful leader in the volatile world that we find ourselves, then youll want to read Agility: Management Principles for a Volatile World.Jason D. Finley, Career Development Coordinator. Adult Education Coordinator, Randolph Technical Career Center

Todays leadersmore than evermust respond to ever shifting realities within their organizations. Our social and economic realities require leaders to move nimbly among people and processes in a way that provides direction and focus, but also responsiveness. Edmondsons work outlines the attributes that truly agile leaders should embody to bring about real and sustainable growth. He guides leaders to fully own their roles as curator, architect, conductor, humanist, advocate, and architect to create spaces that not only grow, but evolve as true learning organizations.Allison Rodman, Founder, The Learning Loop, Leadership Coach

In Major in Happiness: Debunking the College Major Fallacies, Edmondson clearly debunks the myth that only certain college majors achieve greater success than others. More importantly, he maps a process to achieve and retain success and happiness which are two sides of a coin. A must read for parents and students thinking of going to college.Arun Tilak, Director, Center for Emerging Technology & Entrepreneurial Studies, Cameron University

In Major in Happiness: Debunking the College Major Fallacies, Edmondsons theories are accompanied by practical exercises that will be of value to students and their parents as they navigate a pathway through the complex interactions of study and work. He also points to two critical skills: teamwork and listening skills we expect and rarely teach. This book adds significantly to the debate about education and is a must read for incoming and exiting graduates and their parents.John Christian, President/CEO, CAPA, The Global Education Network

Major in Happiness: Debunking the College Major Fallacies is truly a thought-provoking book. This book certainly puts majors in perspective and the importance of doing what you love. This is a must read for parents of college bound students.Cindy Szadokierski, Executive Director, The Edge Program, Randolph-Macon College

Using strong research blended with a practical, clear writing style, Dr. Edmondson provides perspective and advice that the current generation of students (and parents) desperately needs to hear. So many young people quickly abandon their passions and dreams to pursue majors and careers that they believe are necessary to achieve success and satisfaction in their vocational and personal lives. Edmondson pulls back the curtain on the misconceptions and fallacies that fuel that thinking and outlines a compelling argument for the pursuit of a life driven by calling, purpose, and passion. As a professor in one of the disciplines that is often marginalized, I frequently work with students who are wrestling with the exact tensions that Edmondson describes, and I will certainly recommend Major in Happiness: Debunking the College Major Fallacies as a resource for those students in the future.Jeremy Osborn, PhD, Associate Professor of Communication, Cornerstone University

Major in Happiness: Debunking the College Major Fallacies presents an eye-opening presentation of the unique challenges of the 21st century college student. Edmondson offers more than just data to support his beliefs that perseverance, adaptability and life-long learning are keys to success. He provides an array of self-assessment tools to help studentsand professionals alikeevaluate their unique value to corporations and the world. As a professor, this book has changed the way I will mentor my students. A must-read for all of us navigating through this quickly-changing landscape and trying to find our place in it.