As the world continues to evolve, so do our means of working. Agate is a Brooklyn-based future work consulting studio that helps businesses and startups navigate the ever-changing terrain of the modern work landscape by designing flexible systems to support employees and their work. Agate’s core philosophy is “Stay in Beta” is vital to developing and sustaining a successful future of work. In this article, we’ll explore how their unique approach to work can help companies thrive in an ever-changing world.
Staying in Beta means being open to consistent change, testing and retesting ideas, and never settling for the status quo. Embracing this doesn’t mean existing in a constant state of chaos but making targeted changes and improvements to create incremental benefits. Agate believes that the future of work will require companies to be agile, adaptable, and willing to pivot. By embracing this mentality, companies ready to respond to changes in the business world will stay ahead of the curve and create a more prosperous future.
The Snowball Effect of Small Changes Over Time
Change is hard, full stop. When changes become more expansive and complex, the more challenging they are to manage and integrate into the regular flow of work and employee behaviors. Approaching change in a targeted, nearly surgical manner creates fewer hiccups and informs new changes to come. When big changes occur, the number of variables makes it challenging to identify what aspects of the changes are successful and which need attention. This large-scale approach also limits opportunities for employees to have a meaningful part in creating the company’s future. When treated like the collaborators they genuinely are, employees are a fount of insight that companies can significantly improve how a business operates and creates growth opportunities.
A Structurally Sound Business
Another critical element of the Stay in Beta philosophy is the importance of building a solid foundation for experimentation to rely upon. Companies that establish systems and frameworks that provide structure without creating rigidity are better equipped to measure and learn from successes and failures, enabling their employees to weather any storms that come their way. Building a solid foundation means having a clear mission and purpose, but not stopping there. Companies that put the work into articulating how these high-flying statements show up in the lives of your employees and in their work. Agate helps their clients establish these foundations, which can help them stay focused and make better decisions.
Root Cause Identification
One of the simplest ways to identify the true source of any issue is to ask, “Why?” And then do it another four times. It’s the indelible difference between being responsive and being reactive. Reactiveness is nearly involuntary, like a knee-jerk reaction, and rarely solves the problem. Responsiveness, while not perfect, allows you the time to zero in on the real issues plaguing a team, a business unit, or an entire company and begin to take steps toward designing a better experience for your employees that have little to do with parties and swag. Rinse, repeat, and you’ve created a company operating system built to Stay In Beta. Root Cause Identification is one of the first crucial steps Agate takes with its clients to build a structurally sound business in 2023.
Source of Truth
Stay in Beta is a philosophy. Root Cause Identification is the first step to making it happen and building playbooks to serve as the Source of Truth that executives and employees alike can rely on to guide work and the business’s future. Sources of Truth create operational guides for teams to eliminate the grey areas, provides employees autonomy to make decisions they know are in service of the work and business, and enable a company to scale responsibly and effectively. The key to Sources of Truth is that they move with the times. When behaviors change, or new root causes emerge, Sources of Truth are how those updates integrate with the operation of your company.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Agate’s Stay in Beta philosophy is an excellent approach to designing a successful future of work. Companies can thrive in an ever-changing world by embracing iteration, excavating the root causes, and creating living documents that establish a stable ground for iteration and evolution. If you’re looking to build a successful business or navigate the modern work landscape, Agate is an excellent resource to help you achieve your goals.
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