3 Common Sayings That Undermine Organizational Agility and Effectiveness

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced world, businesses must adapt quickly to stay ahead. However, the way we manage and develop our employees—our internal customers—often doesn’t keep up with the demands for change. Certain common phrases in the workplace can unintentionally slow down progress, block innovation, and reduce the agility we strive for. What’s more, these delays and missteps often result in a poor experience for the very people we’re trying to serve—our employees—leading to solutions that miss the mark in meeting their actual needs. In this article, I’ll explore three such sayings that can undermine organizational effectiveness and how adopting a more agile mindset can transform the way we work.

1. "Let’s Talk About It With..."

This phrase can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, consultation is important to make informed decisions, but on the other, involving too many people in every decision can slow things down. Not every decision needs input from a large group, and not every stakeholder needs to be in the room. The key is identifying the right people for each decision and ensuring the customer’s voice—whether internal or external—is heard loud and clear.

Steve Jobs famously said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” This quote highlights the importance of trusting the right people to make decisions without slowing down the process with unnecessary layers of approval.

Moving Forward: In practice, this means being selective about who gets involved in decisions. Bring in the right stakeholders based on the specific needs of each project, and keep the focus on what truly matters—the needs and feedback of the employee. While transparency and visibility are important, they shouldn’t come at the cost of agility. Make sure everyone knows what’s happening, but streamline decision-making to keep things moving forward.

2. "We Don’t Have Anything to Learn From..."

This phrase is a red flag for any organization. Assuming that there’s nothing new to learn, whether from competitors, other industries, or even different departments, is a sure way to fall behind. In reality, there is always something to learn, and the best organizations are those that keep evolving by learning from every possible source.

Bill Gates once said, “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” This emphasizes the need to always be learning, even from mistakes or from what others are doing differently.

Moving Forward: Encourage a culture of continuous learning by looking both inside and outside the organization for inspiration. Whether it’s through cross-departmental projects, learning from competitors, or simply staying curious, fostering a learning environment is key to staying agile and innovative. Regularly seek feedback from employees and make it a priority to act on that feedback. It’s not enough to think you know what employees need—you have to ask them.

3. "Let’s Wait First For..."

The desire to wait for more information or perfect conditions is understandable, but it often leads to missed opportunities. In an agile organization, it’s better to act, learn, and adapt than to wait for everything to be just right. The goal is to make progress, even if it’s small, and improve along the way.

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, said, “Done is better than perfect.” This mindset is crucial in fostering an environment where action and improvement are prioritized over endless deliberation and waiting for ideal conditions.

Moving Forward: Encourage teams to take action, even if it means making decisions with incomplete information. The key is to create a cycle of continuous improvement: take a small step, gather feedback, make adjustments, and move forward again. This iterative process not only speeds up progress but also builds a more resilient and adaptive organization.

Conclusion: Building an Agile, Employee-Centric Workplace

The phrases "Let’s talk about it with...," "We don’t have anything to learn from...," and "Let’s wait first for..." might seem harmless, but they can slow down progress and reduce effectiveness if left unchecked. By recognizing these obstacles and addressing them head-on, organizations can create a more agile, responsive, and effective workplace.

The solution lies in fostering a culture that values decisive action, continuous learning, and a willingness to embrace imperfection. Most importantly, it involves actively seeking feedback from employees, making small iterations, and continually refining based on that input. This way, we not only improve our processes but also ensure that the solutions we develop truly meet the needs of our internal customers.

What common sayings have you encountered in your workplace that block progress? How have you worked to overcome them? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Together, we can create workplaces that are not only agile but also truly effective.

References:

Jobs, S. (2010). Interview with Fortune Magazine.

Gates, B. (1996). Remarks at Microsoft Annual Meeting.

Sandberg, S. (2013). Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.