5 ways an agile mindset can help during times of uncertainty
Stacey Ackerman
A dynamic marketing leader focusing on building high-performing teams that drive real results.
In times of uncertainty, it’s our agile mindset that will help us with our personal brand.
Let’s face it—if there’s one thing that 2023 has given us so far is a lot of uncertainty! Both the tech industry and #Marketing have been hit hard with layoffs. Then throw in #ChatGPT and we all have to wonder if AI is going to replace us completely.
Uncertainty is nothing new. We go through these cycles every decade or so. If I look back on my career, I went through a lot of rough patches. After three or four consecutive layoffs as a Marketer, in 2003 I threw in the towel and went back to school—beauty school!
As you can imagine, my parents were super proud. After being the first one in my blue collar family to finish college, and then go on to get a Masters degree, dropping out and going to beauty school wasn’t what they were expecting!
But sometimes we need to pivot! And that’s what agile has taught me (even though I didn’t even know what it meant 20 years ago)!
Now, let me share with you 5 ways that you can use your agile mindset to help you during times of uncertainty.
#1) Be ready to pivot.
I know it’s cliche, but when one door closes, another one opens. You just have to be willing to look through a different door, which can feel really uncomfortable.
When I was in high school, I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. As you can see, I’m not doing that today and I must say I’m glad. While an in-demand career in the early 90s, it’s not the most in demand career today.
So I pivoted. A lot. And I’ll continue to always pivot, because we must remain #agile. Life changes. The world changes, and therefore we must change along with our environment.
There are entire careers today made up of social media influencers, which wasn’t anything we could have ever imagined a few decades ago.
#2) Stay true to your personal values.
In agile marketing we talk about living up to a set of values. It carries over to our personal lives as well.
No, I’m not a newspaper reporter. But here I am writing, and you’re reading it! No matter how many times I’ve pivoted, my personal values have come along for the journey. I’ve always valued open, honest and transparent communication.
A core skill set of mine has been influencing and communicating to people. So whether I’m a journalist, agile coach or CEO, my personal values are long for the ride.
Agile is not another new process, it’s really a new way to live your life.
#3) Do what’s minimally viable.
We preach delivering minimally viable marketing, but you can also apply the concept of minimally viable to yourself.
Maybe you’re looking to change careers this year and want to go from being a marketer to an agile coach. Well, that doesn’t mean you need to change everything! Think about what’s the path of least resistance to getting you to your goal. Maybe you can try using some agile practices to ‘coach’ your child’s soccer team? Instead of going for a new college degree, a certification course may be enough to get started.
#4) Focus on the value you personally deliver.
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In agile marketing, we’re always focusing on delivering value to our customers. In your career, have you thought about how your skills and personality are delivering value to a potential job or client?
Start to think about your own value proposition. What do I offer that’s unique or different from other candidates? What problem can I solve for someone else?
By tapping into your personal value statement, you’ll better position yourself for the next big opportunity!
#5) Take risks and experiment.
Agile is all about getting out of your comfort zone, taking chances and learning through experimentation. No one ever achieved greatness by sitting on the sidelines and playing it safe. Your personal agility should follow the same course.
Everyone sees risk a bit differently. For some people, it feels risky to learn a new skill. For others, risk is betting millions of dollars on a new business idea. You’ll need to find your own comfort zone and then step a few feet outside!
Use our ‘test and learn’ methodology to better yourself as a professional. Can you apply for a position just for the sake of learning and experimentation? Sometimes what may feel like a step back will propel you 10 feet forward.
Agile is not another new process, it’s really a new way to live your life.
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Hi! I'm Stacey Ackerman. I'm an agile marketing coach & trainer and a partner at?NavigateAgile.
Years ago I was a corporate marketer that was frustrated with old-school processes and endless blue tape!
When I was introduced to the idea of?#agile, my entire outlook changed.
I loved what I saw when people were empowered to?#collaborate?and work as a?#team. I saw better innovation, team happiness and real work getting out the door so much faster!
If you're interested in learning how?#agilemarketing?can help your marketing teams, here are 3 ways I can help:
1) Download your copy of the?Agile Marketing Navigator, a practical approach to implementing agile marketing written by marketers, for marketers.
2) Learn more about agile marketing on our?Learning Tools?page, where you'll find podcasts, eBooks, webinars and more!
3) Get started with our?Agile Marketing Accelerator Program, a proven system for successfully implementing agile marketing.
I'm always open to chatting with you about your agile marketing needs. Feel free to schedule a Zoom call with me:?calendly.com/navigateagile