Enterprise Agility: Why Organisations Must Be Built for Change
About the Manifesto
The Manifesto for Enterprise Agility was developed by the Project Management Institute and PMI Agile Alliance through global research including C-suite surveys, executive interviews, practitioner input, and analysis of dozens of agility frameworks to help organisations translate strategy into action in an era of constant disruption.
👉 Download and read the complete Manifesto for Enterprise Agility
In today’s business environment, the ability to adapt quickly is no longer just a competitive advantage—it has become a core survival capability.
The Manifesto for Enterprise Agility, developed with insights from global executives and practitioners, argues that organisations must evolve beyond rigid operating models and develop the ability to sense change early, respond quickly, and continuously deliver value.
For project professionals and leaders, the key question is shifting from: “What’s our plan?” to “Is our organisation built for change?”
Why Enterprise Agility Matters Now
Several trends are reshaping how organisations operate:
- Rapid technological change, including AI
- Increasing global uncertainty and disruption
- Growing change fatigue across teams
Research behind the manifesto shows:
- 93% of CEOs say their organisations must rethink their operating models at least every five years
- 80% of leaders and employees report lacking the time or energy to complete their work effectively
- Organisations must therefore adapt faster while maintaining resilience and sustainable performance.
Executive Perspective
“Enterprise agility is no longer a competitive edge — it’s the capacity to adapt repeatedly without exhausting people.”
— Howard Yu, Professor, IMD Business School
What Is Enterprise Agility?
Enterprise agility is the capacity to adapt at scale without losing strategic alignment.
Agile organisations are able to:
- Make decisions quickly
- Redirect resources when priorities shift
- Turn strategy into action in real time
When enterprise agility works effectively:
✔ Strategy flows smoothly into execution
✔ Teams operate with both autonomy and alignment
✔ organisations pivot faster than the market while sustaining growth
Four Values That Enable Agile Enterprises
The manifesto identifies four values that help organisations build adaptability.
- Clear Purpose Over Over-Planning: Rather than relying on rigid long-term planning, agile organisations focus on purpose and adaptive strategy. When people understand why the organisation exists, they can adjust their work as conditions change.
- Enterprise Outcomes Over Functional Optimisation: Traditional organisations often optimise performance within departments. Enterprise agility prioritises shared enterprise outcomes, encouraging collaboration across teams and breaking down silos.
- Continuous Reinvention Over Preservation: Markets evolve rapidly. Organisations must challenge established operating models and embrace continuous reinvention rather than preserving the status quo.
- Human-Centricity Amid Change Agility depends on people. Successful organisations invest in:
- Continuous learning
- Resilience and autonomy
- Leadership built on empathy and trust
- These capabilities help teams adapt without burnout.
Executive Perspective
“The most powerful organisations resemble living systems rather than mechanical ones. They evolve through learning, interdependence, and the ability to adapt continuously.”
— Heidi J. Musser, Board Member, Orsa Credit Union
The 9 Principles That Make Enterprise Agility Work
The manifesto groups its principles into three key areas: leadership behaviour, organizational design, and execution.
Leadership Behaviour
Leaders play a critical role in enabling agility.
Key actions include:
- Creating clarity of purpose so teams understand enterprise outcomes
- Expanding agility across ecosystems, including partners and suppliers
- Embracing technology and distributed talent to accelerate decision-making
Organizational Design
Organisational structures must support adaptability.
Key shifts include:
- Govern with guardrails, not gatekeepers
- Fund purpose and intent, not execution activity
- Design for adaptability, not just efficiency
Over-optimizing for efficiency can make organisations fragile in times of disruption.
Execution
Agility ultimately depends on how work is delivered.
Effective organisations:
- Move authority to where value is created
- Deliver value frequently and make work visible
- Sense change early, learn quickly, and act with confidence
Transparency and fast feedback loops allow teams to respond quickly and continuously improve.
What This Means for Project Professionals
For project managers, enterprise agility expands the traditional focus on delivery.
Modern project professionals increasingly help organisations:
- Connect initiatives to enterprise outcomes
- Increase visibility across programs and teams
- Enable faster decision-making
- Support collaboration across functions
This positions project leaders as key enablers of organisational adaptability.
The Takeaway
The Manifesto for Enterprise Agility highlights a fundamental shift. Agility is not a one-time transformation or a specific methodology.
It is an organisational capability and leadership mindset that enables companies to reinvent themselves continuously. In an era shaped by AI, digital ecosystems, and constant disruption, the organisations that succeed will not simply plan better.
They will be designed for change.
