SUCCESS: Where do i start, 2.ADAPTABLE TO CHANGE

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."

ADAPTABLE TO CHANGE

How Well Do You Handle Change? The Benefits of Being Adaptable

Do you start each day with the mindset that you are prepared to handle whatever might happen that day?

Or does the prospect of experiencing unexpected events or circumstances leave you feeling anxious and insecure?

Adaptability is the personality trait that helps determine how you respond to change. People with high adaptability are often described as "flexible," team players," or as someone who "goes with the flow."

You can find out rather quickly which category you fall into by listening to other people are saying or have said about you. People who aren't adaptable may be called "stubborn" or (more PC), "creatures of habit."

Three toddlers are given a difficult task to do. Each handles the challenge in his or her own unique way: one cries and gives up immediately, one tries the same strategy over and over again, and one tries different strategies until he finds one that eventually works.

Clearly, the third toddler has a higher level of functioning adaptability, and as a result is the only one to successfully complete the task. Is adaptability something you're born with, or can you learn it? Even young children display certain propensities toward handling change, but does this necessarily mean you're either adaptable or not?

In their book, "The Platinum Rule," Tony Alessandra and Michael O'Connor describe adaptability as being made up of two distinct components: flexibility and versatility. Flexibility is your attitude; how willing are you to change? Versatility comes down to ability; are you actually capable of change? If we assume this two-part definition of adaptability, we see that it is something we are in control of...at least in part.

While we may naturally be prone to being adaptable (or not), we can consciously decide to be flexible in our ideas and expectations. Over time, this shift in our attitude will naturally lead us to become better at adjusting to the changes we'll all inevitably have to face.

The benefits of being adaptable:

There are many benefits to being adaptable, both in the workplace and in our personal lives. If you're feeling the desire to become more adaptable or have been told you need to be more flexible, realize that these benefits are well within your reach, but they may take a little practice.

1. You'll Be More Valuable to Your Employer

The ability of an organization to adapt has been called the new competitive advantage. The same is true for individuals: employers increasingly want workers who can adapt to an ever-changing workplace.

Someone who is adaptable is open to new ideas, and doesn't need to do things just because "that's how they've always been done." They're able to anticipate changes and don't panic when things don't go according to plan.

Employers already value this trait, but it's likely to become even more important in the future; in one survey, 91 percent of HR directors predicted that by 2018, the ability of a candidate to deal with change will be a major recruitment goal. If you want to gain a competitive edge now, while also securing marketable skills for the future, start practicing adaptability now. 

2. You'll Be a Better Leader

People who are adaptable excel as leaders. They earn the respect of their peers, inspire those around them to embrace change, and help grease the cogs in the wheel of even the most unanticipated transitions.

In their journal article, Why Flexible and Adaptive Leadership Is Essential, Gary Yukl, and Rubina Mahsud write, "When a sudden, unusual event threatens to disrupt normal operations or to harm people or property, a rapid but appropriate response is needed to minimize the adverse effects for the organization. How well a leader handles these immediate crises an indicator of flexible and adaptive leadership."

As a leader, you're bound to face situations that require you to make quick decisions about whether or not to change course. If you're not able to pivot quickly, your actions could hurt your employees and your organization as a whole.

3. You'll Be Happier and More Satisfied With Life

Psychologist Guy Winch believes that being adaptable has many benefits...one of the most important of which is increased happiness: "We constantly meet psychological challenges. Some of us succumb, we feel hopeless, disempowered, give up … and some meet challenges, take the knock and learn something from it. Our ability to have life satisfaction, to be happy [and] to have good relationships really depends on our ability to adapt.”

Being adaptable means not feeling hopeless and helpless in the face of change. If you can tell yourself that you have the skills and ability to change yourself, even if you can't change the situation, you have figured out the key to being happy regardless of your circumstances.

4. You'll Be Better Able to Handle Career Transitions

Imagine you suddenly lose your job due to a decline in your industry or some other reason. What's your first move? Do you give up, resigning yourself to months of fruitless job hunting? Or do you take stock of your current skill set, and think about how you can reposition yourself or find work in another industry?

Being adaptable can mean less time looking for work, and less stress as you tackle your new job search tasks. You will stop putting off your need to do what it takes to get a job (e.g. getting your resume out there, or getting your resume updated or written in the first place). You're also more likely to try new jobs or roles, increasing the scope (and likelihood of your success) of your search.

5. You'll Bounce Back More Quickly From Adversity

Bad things happen to all of us. But if you're adaptable, you take adversity in stride, never letting it destroy you. You adjust your thoughts and expectations to suit your new reality, rather than dwelling on "what could have been."

Being adaptable means being resilient. And being resilient will get you far in life. Dean Becker, president and CEO of Adaptiv Learning Systems, a company that creates programs to teach resiliency, believes adaptability is a trait that is a key determinant of success.

He writes, "More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the cancer ward, it’s true in the Olympics, and it’s true in the boardroom."

There's a Chinese proverb that says, "The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher." Being adaptable means you change yourself to accommodate your circumstances.  This means less time trying to change your circumstances, which may or may not work, and more time adjusting your own attitude and expectations.

Final Thoughts

In his book, "Who Moved My Cheese," Spencer Johnson asks this all-important question: "What would you do if you were not afraid?".

When you're adaptable, anxiety about your future is diminished, allowing you to ask (and act on) this question. When you anticipate changes and adjust your attitude and expectations accordingly, changes don't need to disorient you, they become just another expected part of life.

How well do you handle change? Do you consider yourself an adaptable person? Share below!

Adaptability: Change Your Relationship to Change

Scientists tell us the adaptive ability of any system is usually gauged by its response to disruptions or challenges. In the case of the human system, a.k.a. you and me, adaptive abilities mean you are a person who is flexible in handling change, juggling multiple demands, and navigating new situations with innovative ideas and approaches.  

Is This Me? 

Think about these statements, and choose A or B: 

• A) I tend to think of change as bad. B) I tend to see change as an opportunity.
• A) I dislike change. B) Some change can be worthwhile. 
• A) I feel uptight when plans change at home or work. B) I find changes in plans energizing. 
• A) I hate making adjustments in my routines. B) I make adjustments to routines easily. 
• A) I feel threatened when a challenge arises. B) I like a challenge.
• A) I often get “locked in” to an idea or approach to solving a problem. B) I’m open to new information when solving a problem. 

If you find yourself agreeing with most of the A statements, you may be someone who is uncomfortable with change. If you find yourself agreeing with more of the B statements, you may be more able to adapt as changes demand. 

Looking at your own beliefs and judgments can be an important first step toward greater adaptability. If you are fixed in your thinking, you may struggle against change rather than turning it into an opportunity. Learning to sit with discomfort amidst uncertainty is something every human can benefit from. 

An agile mindset is one that recognizes that adapting to change is the price of admission for living a meaningful life. Let’s face it, any time you try something new, you face uncertainty and there is risk involved. You never know exactly how things will turn out. For example, you may have to make a decision about whether to take a new job or stay where you are. There are no guarantees the job will be a good fit.  If it is, great! You took the leap and it paid off. If the new job isn’t great–you chalk it up to learning. You are wiser, you gain new skills, new connections, and you’re able to translate that into a better decision next time. The bottom line: change is difficult, uncomfortable, and at times downright painful. Our ability to effectively handle the discomfort of change improves through experimentation and repetition.

“An agile mindset is one that recognizes that adapting to change is the price of admission for living a meaningful life.” 

Here’s how rigidity, the opposite of adaptability, can show up at work: Imagine an executive who quickly shuts down an idea suggested by a team member for a more tech-based system of project management that could increase productivity. The executive may not realize this “shut-down” reflex has become an unconscious habit, triggered by any suggestion of change, which results in his automatically coming up with reasons the new idea won’t work, rather than why it might. Such a habit keeps things as they are and squelches innovation. This lack of adaptability keeps inefficient practices in place, and, maybe worse, sends a message not to question the status quo. Over time, this results in stagnation, reduced passion, and energy and weaker financial results.

However, imagine if that executive had been more adaptable and asked the rest of the team how they feel about the new idea and whether it’s worth trying. If they express enthusiasm, the adaptable executive might give it a chance to see how it goes. If it works, progress is made. If it doesn’t, something useful could still be learned. There is acknowledgement that innovation and change carry emotional and financial outlays. And the emotional outlay can be lessened with an emotionally agile mindset. 

Adaptability is at the heart of innovation in any environment. 

People who demonstrate adaptability combine curiosity and problem solving skills to achieve their goals. Persistence leads them to try new behaviors or methods of getting things done. They are resourceful and creative, especially when budgets are tight. These key building blocks to adaptability–agility, persistence, and trying multiple strategies–are vital skills for success.

Increasingly, adaptability is a key differentiator of effective leadership in highly tumultuous industries, such as technology and finance. Leaders who show strong adaptability recognize that their industry is continually changing and are better able to evolve. They realize they can’t be stuck doing the same old thing over and over. They think creatively and take calculated risks. 

There are numerous case studies of once-thriving companies whose leaders were unable to embrace change, such as Blockbuster, Sears, and Kodak. Alternatively, we all know companies that make phenomenal examples of adaptability, including Apple and Google, who created new products we didn’t even know we needed. They were attuned to shifting trends and feedback from customers. 

Consider current workplace norms: teams are no longer fixed and steady, they form and disassemble; work is increasingly meted out in short-term contracts. And leaders are attempting to prepare a workforce for jobs that don’t yet exist. It should not be surprising then that employers are putting a high priority on the skill of adaptability.  

By staying adaptable and open-minded, you continue to reinvent yourself and experience significant growth along the way.

Keep in mind, there are times when there’s a good reason not to change, like preserving quality standards or time-tested effective strategies. The trademark of an adaptable leader, however, is the ability to balance core values with responsiveness in the face of a changing world.

“People who demonstrate adaptability combine curiosity and problem solving skills to achieve their goals.

Try this exercise for developing your adaptability

Think of a change in either your personal or professional life you have recently experienced or are currently experiencing. How do you feel about the change? How are you responding to the change? 

Here are some examples of situations that require adaptability:

We are launching a new service line. I’m excited about the possibilities it creates, but a little nervous about whether we’ve thought of everything. I’m doing significant research to position myself as an expert.

My daughter just turned 12 and is suddenly becoming moody and withdrawn, spending lots of time in her room and not talking to me or her Dad. I’m scared something might be going on that she’s not telling us.

Now, ask yourself a series of questions to help find a positive perspective on that change: 

• What opportunities does this change represent? 
• What positive outcome could I find in this change? 
• What is outside of my control? 
• What is within my control? 
• What is the next (small) action I can take to move in a positive direction? 
• What is the best outcome that might result?

Avoiding change is impossible. Instead we can change our relationship to change. We can learn to turn toward what scares us, and in turn, we gradually adapt and grow amidst uncertainty and discomfort in life.  

“Avoiding change is impossible. Instead we can change our relationship to change.” 

Adapting to Change Requires Flexibility

Adaptable People Have These 3 Types of Flexibility

• Adapt to the changing external pressures facing the organization.
• Adjust their management style to changing situations.
• Accept changes as positive.
• Revise plans as necessary.
• Consider other people’s concerns during change.

Adaptability is about having ready access to a range of behaviors that enable leaders to shift and experiment as things change.

“To survive change in your organization or industry or profession, you must first lead yourself through the process of transition,”

“This includes finding ways to help yourself feel more grounded, understanding the impact that change is having on you, and understanding the impact of your behavior on others.” (For more tips on managing the transition, see How to Transition Through Change.)

1. Cognitive flexibility — the ability to use different thinking strategies and mental frameworks.

Leaders who have cognitive flexibility are able to incorporate different thinking strategies and mental frameworks into their planning, decision-making, and management of day-to-day work. They can simultaneously hold multiple scenarios in mind and can see when to shift and inject a change. Cognitive flexibility indicates nimble, divergent thinking, an interest in developing new approaches, the ability to see and leverage new connections, and the propensity to work well across the organization. These leaders readily learn from experience and recognize when old approaches don’t work.

2. Emotional flexibility — the ability to vary one’s approach to dealing with emotions and those of others.

Leaders with emotional flexibility vary their approach to dealing with their own and others’ emotions — an area that many leaders often fail to consider. An emotionally flexible leader is comfortable with the process of transition, including grieving, complaining, and resistance. Adapting to change requires give and take between the leader and those experiencing the change. A leader without emotional flexibility is dismissive of others’ concerns and emotions and shuts down discussion. At the same time, an emotionally adaptive leader moves the change or agenda forward.

3. Dispositional flexibility — the ability to remain optimistic and, at the same time, realistic.

Leaders who display dispositional flexibility (or personality-related flexibility) operate from a place of optimism grounded in realism and openness. They will acknowledge a bad situation but simultaneously visualize a better future. They are neither blindly positive nor pessimistic and defeatist. Ambiguity is well-tolerated. Dispositionally flexible leaders see change as an opportunity rather than as a threat or danger.

By learning and practicing behaviors that boost your cognitive, emotional, and dispositional flexibility, you can become more adaptable and, in turn, help others to adapt.

How to Adapt to Change: 5 Tips

As a leader, you not only have to respond to change, but you also have to steer change. Use these 5 tips as you adapt to change and guide your team through change:

• Be curious. Ask lots of questions. Wonder, explore, and consider before you judge and decide.
• Don’t get too attached to a single plan or strategy. Have Plan B (and C) at the ready.
• Create support systems. Don’t go it alone. Look to mentors, friends, coaches, trusted peers, professional colleagues, family members, and others to serve as your support system in times of change. Encourage employees to do the same.
• Understand your own reaction to change. You have to be clear about your own emotions and thoughts about changes, so you can be straightforward with others.
• Immerse yourself in new environments and situations. Do this when you are confronted by change — but get practice by joining activities, meeting new people, and trying new things on a regular basis.

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