Strategic Agility in Optometry

An organization that moves faster than its environment demonstrates working strategic agility. The world is constantly changing, the markets have never been so unpredictable and shifting as in the past year due to the pandemic. While most organizations are focusing on how to survive the effect of the pandemic, many organizations are thinking of long-term strategy focusing on the post-pandemic and innovatively imagining and executing plans that will succeed thanks to their strategic agility.

Strategic Agility is the propensity of the organization to freely and independently shift inside its business and outside its business environment to fit crisis circumstances. Strategic Agility consists of holding a competitive edge by identifying opportunities in every circumstance and capitalizing on those opportunities. Organizational leaders who develop strategic agility will almost always be ready to recognize shifts in the markets and be prepared to quickly implement change providing innovation and profitable solutions.

There is a great distinction between Strategic Agility and Operational Agility. Operational Agility pertains to making better products and services. In terms of providing people with lighting, if operational agility was to make a better candle strategic agility drove Edison to create the electric light bulb. In times of crisis, Strategic agility leads organizations not just to survive but thrive. Research showed that Airbnb successfully navigated the pandemic identified when to shift from its strategic plan and embraces the changing environment dictated by COVID-19. Airbnb followed three disctinct ways, the first one was being agile to avoid the worst effect of the crisis, the second way was being strong enough to absorb the effect of the pandemic when it struck them, and the third way is being resilient enough to accelerate forward quicker and stronger than other competitors. These three capabilities are referred to as the Triple As of strategic agility.

If you haven’t thought about strategic agility yet, think about those three capabilities and how you can identify them in your Optometry practice: avoid, absorb, accelerate. Are you focusing on surviving the pandemic or thriving? what opportunities have you identified? how did you shift your strategy in response to the pandemic?