The robust organization is set up to cope with increasing uncertainty in the environment. Accordingly, a high-performing, robust organization has four key characteristics: alertness, agility, adaptability, and alignment. Alertness captures the organization's focus on measuring results and establishing performance expectations. Agility is tied to improved communication and the sharing of decision-making authority throughout the organization. Adaptability stems from a better understanding of customer needs and internal performance incentives. Finally, alignment is created through extensive information and technology. These attributes are believed to be key to enabling organizations to be high performing in the face of deep uncertainty. (Light, Predicting Organizational Crisis Readiness: Perspectives and Practices toward a Pathway to Preparedness, 2008, p. 17; cites: Paul C. Light, The Four Pillars of High Performance: How Robust Organizations Achieve Extraordinary Results (New York: McGraw Hill, 2005))