WHY WE VALUE AGILITY

Change is the buzzword of the day. The current speed of development is phenomenal – we are bang in the middle of the so-called Digital Revolution, an age of change which sees brand new technologies made redundant in mere months. The digital shift is also transforming workplaces, enabling employees to work faster and smarter, to get more done in less time and be more productive. In short, the pressure is on us all to become more agile. Agility is so important to our company, that we consider it to be one of our most important values.

However, change, and the need for agility, while ultimately creating opportunity, can also cause discomfort along the way.  The pressure to be faster, better and more productive can be too much for many who struggle to keep up with it all. There’s only so much we can do, and our industry is particularly demanding, given that it is serving an increasingly impatient consumer (and equally impatient clients!).

Prerequisites for managing change include the ability to embrace the new, to challenge existing behaviours and use adapting strategies to stay ahead of the game. Change also requires significant emotional resilience. When the world around you is shifting and changing, you need to be self aware, to trust your instincts, and learn to go with the flow.

Women particularly feel the pressure of trying to keep up with change. We spend our lives juggling and multi-tasking, balancing the pressures of home, family and work. Younger women deal with parents who can be over-protective and even controlling, while trying to succeed in a fledging career. Those of us who have children have seen our lives change dramatically – we deal with the challenges of becoming physically clumsy during pregnancy, we manage erratic hormonal fluctuations and we have to meet the needs of infants who demand attention day and night. Many of us continue to work throughout our pregnancies and go on to balance childcare with work.

The Media industry is particularly unforgiving when it comes to a work-life balance and it is often difficult to manage the demands of a family and personal life when office hours can be erratic at the best of times.  Thankfully, The 120 Media Collective encourages career breaks, supports women during extended maternity breaks and even allows you to bring your children (human and furry!) to the office. We also try to ensure that people come to the office and leave on time, wherever possible. That support system is imperative, if we are really ever going to enable our people to give their best, and be as agile as they possibly can, and we are proud of it.