Seek agility; maybe even without "Agile"



I don't know crap about "Agile," but I've learned a few things about agility. 

My journey started when an ER doctor friend went through police SWAT school to get on a team as tactical medic. He excelled when compared to veteran police officers! He should have failed miserably. 

I theorized it had to do with generalized sense-making, adaptability, & decision-making. In my study since, there are other concepts I've accepted:

SYSTEMS THINKING - from closed mechanistic systems to open loop complex systems.

MISSION COMMAND - spanning from tight management to open empowerment.

PROCESS - from rigid procedures to open feedback-rich cycles.

ANTICIPATION - weighing predictions & considering possibilities.

DECISIVENESS - from slow stabilizing probes to fully committed permanent choices.

TEAMS - groups are plug-&-play; teams have chemistry.

GENERALISM - navigate the spaces between.

TRADEOFFS - appreciate what you may be giving up.

TRIAGE - not all opportunities or risks are equal.

NON-LINEARITY - if you get this, the linear stuff is easy.

STRATEGY - it's what links Why & How. 

EMOTION - if it has people, it has feelings. 

There are more, but these are the big ones.  

***




Lou Hayes, Jr. is a criminal investigations & intelligence unit supervisor in a suburban Chicago police department. With a passion for training, he studies human performance & decision-making, creativity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Follow Lou on LinkedIn, & also the LinkedIn page for The Illinois Model. 

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