Readiness 2.0 — From Preparing in Place to Mobilizing in Motion

The way we define and develop readiness has come a long way over the last decade.

Readiness in organizations can exist around a multitude of things, including:

• Change
• Technology adoption
• Threat
• Development
• Leadership or Career Progression
• Workforce Planning

Research has consistently pointed to a common set of ingredients for employees being “ready” in any of these domains.  The context, however, has changed significantly and it’s time to revisit the recipe.

Readiness 1.0: Preparation is Key

Older versions of readiness research tend to be highly individualized and focused on preparation.  While they vary some, the general theme is that readiness exists when an employee is:

• Motivated to do what they’re asked (develop, adopt change, etc.)
• Able to do it (competent and skilled in critical areas)
• Afforded the capacity (time, attentional bandwidth) to do what they’re asked

The third point — capacity — is a sticking point that also has implications for motivation and ability.  Demanding job environments make it unreasonable to expect that employees can pause what they are doing to prepare themselves for something that is coming.  Meanwhile, resources are limited, making a bespoke approach to readiness impractical.  Cultivating readiness in a vacuum isn’t practical; we need a solution that can work in a demanding environment that is constantly in motion.

Readiness 2.0: Mobilizing Employees Who Don’t Have Time to Prepare

Old solutions to the readiness issue were selection and training-heavy: Either find people who are motivated, able and capable of handling higher volumes of work or develop them until they are. 

Many organizations can’t afford such a gradual process of building up to readiness.  A more reasonable approach includes things like:

• Clearer structuring of roles and responsibilities
• Better knowledge management and resources
• Work redesign
• Boundary setting
• Empowering independent decision making and action

That all bodes well for a modern definition of readiness, which is focused on mobilization at the workforce level.  Readiness 2.0 consists of cultivating skills like:

Rapid sensemaking — Assessing the situation efficiently to answer the question; “what exactly is happening here?”

Prioritization — Having the organizational awareness to know what needs to happen right now and what can wait

Learning agility — Acquiring knowledge, skills, and abilities in motion with sufficient effectiveness to meet job demands

Self-Regulation — Maintaining the attentional, cognitive, and emotional capacity to function well under pressure

Bias for Action — Moving ahead definitively despite uncertainty or ambiguity 

Resource Activation — Knowing who/what you can draw upon for support rather than attempting to be self-sufficient

Recovery and Iteration — Adjusting as new information becomes available to improve results and outcomes

Employees can learn these things in motion when they are:

• Modeled, coached and reinforced
• Supported by policy, process and procedure
• Prioritized in practice-based learning and development initiatives
• Underscored by a climate where action and iterative adjustment feel safe

The need for cultivating readiness isn’t going anywhere, but neither will a Readiness 1.0 approach.  It’s time for an update that can move the way we move and keep up with the pace.

Ernest currently serves as a Personnel Research Psychologist within the Chief Human Capital Office of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He earned his Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Akron in 2016. Over the last 20 years, he has worked in for-profit, non-profit, and government settings while holding a variety of individual contributor and leadership roles. His areas of expertise and experience include assessment for hire and development, leadership development, employee engagement, performance management, and organizational change and transformation. 

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