MBAs have no doubt heard the word “flexibility” countless times – whether in pursuit of a job opportunity, or in composing their b-school application.
But what does this word really mean for leaders and change-makers? A senior lecturer at the Berkeley Haas School of Business has set out to answer this question.
Homa Bahrami’s research focuses on the technology sector, with a primary interest in knowledge workers. For tech professionals, adaptability is vital in order to keep pace with the industry’s exponential growth. She has coined the term “super-flexibility” which she describes as “the ability to engage in a constant balancing act. What do I need to maintain stability, but where do I need to adapt my team, structure, or product?… Flexibility is the secret sauce.”
Bahrami has outlined five types of ‘DNA’ which describe the innate responses of workers during times of change. There is the versatile DNA type – chameleons who can shift strategy according to their situation; the robust DNA workers – who are dogged and persistent in changing circumstances; those who possess agile DNA, who implement minimally during transition; the hedging DNA type, who plan and predict outcomes; and finally, those who possess resilient DNA – that which allows the worker to identify a problem and to quickly fix it.
Bahrami’s research was summed up in a recent profile: “A crisis manager is an example of someone with resilient DNA while salespeople tend to have versatile DNA…Innovative, disruptive entrepreneurs who thrive on change and uncertainty possess robust DNA.”
Accelerating Change Readiness & Agility, Bahrami’s course, is currently being offered online through Berkeley-Haas’ ExecOnline program. She intends to teach an elective version during the Fall 2016 evening and weekend session.