"Improving Your Organization's Speed and Agility"
No Author Cited
Hewitt Associates, May 2002
Available Online
Hewitt's study reports that CEOs are striving to improve organizational
speed and agility as a result of intense market pressures generated by customer
demands, competition and the fast pace of business today.
In addition, 67 percent of the 60 surveyed CEOs and 91 percent of the 261
surveyed HR executives believe HR should help lead the company in its endeavors
to better speed and agility. However, less than half in both groups believe
HR is currently assuming this role. On the other hand, the department is
making progress. Seventy-two percent of HR leaders included speed and agility
improvement in their fiscal year 2002 business plans. A little more than
half also specified speed and agility performance measures.
CEOs attributed "organizational inertia of people and systems (risk
aversion, lack of teamwork, legacy technology)" as the greatest challenge
to improving speed and agility. As a solution, they are instituting people
motivators and behavior changers such as changing culture, developing goals,
accountabilities and incentives.
HR leaders saw lack of agreement among business leaders on what to do as
the biggest obstacle. They believe that improving speed and agility in five
major areas – talent management, corporate change and restructuring, HR service
delivery, health benefits management and retirement benefits managment – will
bring some to significant business result improvements.
This study relied on questionnaires sent to CEOs and HR leaders at 188
large organizations. It is also available by calling the Hewitt InfoDesk at (847) 295-5000.
