This document discusses the difference between organizational resilience and adaptive capacity. It argues that adaptive capacity is more practical and achievable than resilience. It then provides examples of stabilizing capacities that organizations typically rely on versus adaptive capacities that allow organizations to adapt to changing circumstances. The document outlines some practical measures organizations can take to increase their adaptive capacity, such as embracing uncertainty and cross-competency training. It also discusses how to prove the business case for adaptive capacity investments to senior leadership by highlighting benefits like cost efficiencies. The document concludes with an exercise that asks participants to discuss adaptive strategies for a case study and identify three adaptive capacity choices.
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Infonex 2016 Practical Measures to Increase Adaptive Capacity - Andrews
4. ADAPTIVE
STABILIZING
Traditional Command & Control
Structures
Technical Competencies
Rational Strategic Planning
Multiple Staff Hierarchies
Homogenous Orientation
Segmented Enterprise
Orientation and Outlook
Reactive and Risk Averse
Fixed Capital
Transformational Leadership
Cross-functional & All Level
Work Teams
Cross-functional Technical
Competencies
Culture of Learning and
Diversity
Incubation of Innovation
Holistic Enterprise Orientation
& Outlook
Proactive and Risk Tolerant
Flexible Capital
Adaptive Capacities Stabilizing Capacities
5. PRACTICAL
MEASURES
Adopt an Organic & Holistic
Perspective
Aggressively Pursue Knowledge Gaps
Exploit Opportunities
Learn from Experience
Foster Innovation
6. PRACTICAL
MEASURES
Embrace Uncertainty
Do not Compartmentalize Issues
Maintain Continual Scenario Planning
Establish Hazard & Vulnerability
Assessments
Apply Cross-Competency Training
Initiate Cross-Discipline Fertilization
7. PROVING
YOUR
CASE
Employee Engagement and Retention
Cross-functional Competency Development
Redundancy in the face of Adversity
Improvement in Disruption Management
Cost Efficiencies (Program, Staff)
Process Efficiencies (Lean)
Reproducible and Measureable
Creation of Product and Service Value
8. EXERCISE Form 2 Discussion Groups
Review the Case Study
Discuss Possible Adaptive Strategies
Offer 3 Adaptive Capacity Choices
Explain your Choices
9. SOURCES
ThankYou!
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GSDRC (2014) Disaster Resilience Topic Guide
Myburgh, Webb and Seville (2012) Adaptive Capacity and
Resilience, Continuity Central (1) (4)
Nyamwanza (2012) Livelihood Resilience and Adaptive
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Zawada (2012) Organizational Resilience: What it Could, or
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