Reactivity can be incredibly costly for organizations during times of change, but it’s also a natural human response. So, how can organizations—and the project managers responsible for operationalizing change—optimize for this inherent trait and set themselves up for success?
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How project managers can take organizations from reactive to proactive
Understanding the Stakes
When an organization undergoes change or disruption, there’s an enormous amount of value at stake. Despite these opportunities, most companies fall short: 80% fail to achieve their expected value during change. Why?
It’s no secret that reactivity is part of human nature. “Fight or flight” was first introduced by researchers a century ago and remains a popular concept today, laying the foundation for understanding human reactions in the face of disruption.
Over the following decades, more research has deepened this initial understanding, focusing on the neurobiology at play. Concepts like threat rigidity hypothesis and amygdala hijack have become central to understanding the brain’s response to change. In short? Humans are reactive when faced with disruption. This applies not only to individuals but to organizations as well.
The Critical Role of Project and Portfolio Managers
Project and portfolio managers, along with operations leaders, are at the heart of organizations, especially during times of change, growth, and innovation. They shoulder enormous responsibilities; they also report higher burnout rates than any other role.
Empowering people in these positions to thrive during times of change is critical to enabling the entire organization to succeed — not only to meet expected value but to exceed it. This becomes even more important as organizations grow in size and complexity. In fact, as a company expands, its size can become a disadvantage without the right tools to respond to change effectively. Tools and platforms that foster collaboration, communication, and organization-wide visibility are essential. Enter Smartsheet.
How Smartsheet Empowers Proactivity
Smartsheet is an enterprise work management platform that empowers project and portfolio managers to connect strategy with execution. Used by 90% of Fortune 100 companies, Smartsheet is the platform of choice for big names like Iron Mountain, Autodesk, HP, and more.
Smartsheet streamlines processes and empowers teams to track projects, prioritize tasks, and visualize data—all on a flexible, scalable platform. In short? Smartsheet equips project and portfolio managers to shift from reactive to proactive by giving them the tools to help organizations plan, capture, automate, and report—all in one place.
While reactivity is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be the default mode of operation. The key is to use tools that support a proactive approach to innovation and growth. When organizations have systems to manage change effectively, teams can move faster and achieve more—unlocking potential value that would otherwise be lost.
Smartsheet helps organizations balance standardization and flexibility – at scale.