• The Open University
  • Agile Business Consortium logo

This course is part of the Business Agility Foundations ExpertTrack

Business Agility Foundations: An Introduction

Understand how business agility and agile leadership can help organisations survive and thrive in complex environments.

Young female and male business people having a discussion while wearing face coverings.
  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Included in an ExpertTrack

    Course 1 of 4
  • Get full ExpertTrack access

    $39/monthFind out more

Discover how agility can help deal with a VUCA world

The world is changing rapidly and feels increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). How does this impact organisations, teams, and the way we work?

This three-week course sets the scene for business agility. You’ll learn about the benefits of business agility, the drivers for organisational change, and consider the complex and uncertain environment in which many of today’s organisations operate.

Explore the philosophy, values, and principles of business agility

You’ll start by learning what business agility is, and then look at how the workplace is evolving, the important contribution of leadership in agile organisations, and how ‘conscious capitalism’ brings purpose to organisations to deliver more. You will also consider how customer value is at the heart of business agility and why a customer-driven, value-based approach improves organisational performance.

If you’re new to business agility, want to know how to survive and thrive in a VUCA world, or already have a basic understanding and want to know more and develop your own practical business agility for future roles, this course will give you an introduction to business agility and broaden your skill set as part of your professional development.

Learn how business agility and agile leadership can help organisations

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to recognise some of the challenges faced by organisations in a VUCA world, describe business agility values and philosophy, how it can help organisations survive and thrive in complex environments, and consider the style of leadership needed for business agility.

What topics will you cover?

  • VUCA – challenges and impact
  • Business agility philosophy and values
  • Drivers for organisational change
  • Benefits of business agility
  • What agile leadership looks like

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

  • Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
  • Complete each course and pass assessments.
  • Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
  • Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
  • Make your career dreams a reality.

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Recognise some of the challenges faced by organisations in a VUCA world
  • Describe business agility values and philosophy
  • Describe how business agility could help organisations to survive and thrive in complex environments
  • Consider the style of leadership needed for business agility

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone new to business agility or those with a basic understanding who want to know more. Some workplace and/or team-based experience will help you understand the content of the course in the context of a working organisation (of any size, sector, or industry). It’s particularly suitable for:

  • Those who want to know how they can develop their own practical business agility for future roles.
  • Those struggling to understand how to survive and thrive in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world.
  • Those wishing to broaden their skillset and expand their Continuing Professional Development.

Who will you learn with?

Rod Willis is a Professional Executive Coach and Business Agility expert. He is an Agile Business Consortium Scrum Master who supports the agile community through conferences, courses and online tools

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Agile Business Consortium

The Agile Business Consortium is the global professional body for Business Agility, with unrivalled expertise in the field. A UK based not-for-profit organisation and the brains behind AgilePM®, AgileBA®, AgilePgM® and AgileDS™ - committed to advancing business agility worldwide.

About this ExpertTrack

Discover how business agility can improve performance, create efficient teams, and benefit your organisation.

Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

  • Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
  • Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
  • Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
  • Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
  • Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
  • Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
  • Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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