An agile strategy refers to a method for completing projects, first pioneered in software development, that involves being able to adapt rapidly and efficiently to changes in the scope of a project or in response to changing business conditions. It is characterized by attributes such as flexibility, speed, awareness, adaptability and preparedness in the face of rapidly changing business environments. It means, for example, that a group working on a product has the ability to change its parameters quickly in response to a competitor or changing consumer demands rather than following through on an initial plan.

The concept of agility has moved from project management in software and is being adopted as a management approach since it provides significant benefits for innovation; the idea of embracing failures to inform how goals are reached and being able to pivot to a different approach provide significant benefits when attempting something completely new. In an agile approach to creating a design or product, many small experiments are made to see what is effective and each informs the next iteration, whether successful or not, to ultimately reach the required goal. In an organization, an agile strategy involves planning, execution, change management and performance management as drivers for building organizational agility.

Agile practices in an organization are focussed on specific business goals and generally have short development cycles so that they can be achieved as quickly as possible. An agile strategy focuses on the development and execution of these strategies such that they:

Reduce the period required to reach tangible goals and expected results
Allow the organization to achieve long-term objectives by executing shorter, more specific implementation cycles that meet both immediate and long-term objectives
Provide the ability to proactively change course or pivot when there are changes to both internal requirements and external business conditions

For an agile strategy to be effective it needs to be driven from the top of an organization’s structure when considering planning and execution goals. It enables the organization to achieve momentum towards its strategic goals by deploying and refining implementations of its strategic initiatives. An effective agile process enables the early launch of deliverables which are then measured and evaluated for effectiveness before the process repeats; rather than a long-term overall plan the process allows for constant action planning changes as part of a development cycle. This approach is highly effective in a data-driven business environment where change is constant and requires a more flexible approach to strategy development and execution.