No one needs to be convinced that adaptability is necessary.
But maybe we do need reminding that adaptability is:
- a skill (not a trait),
- comprised of other “sub-skills,”
- and therefore, there are almost unlimited ways to improve it.
It is my belief that the best way to become more adaptable is to find a pathway toward it that matches your preferences and strengths most closely, and follow that one. If there are lots of ways to become good at being more adaptable, why not choose one that you’d find easiest?
For example, if you are persistent and a big picture thinker, you can lean into those strengths to become more adaptable over time. If you are an optimistic risk-taker, those are qualities that can help you become adaptable too. Or maybe you are an extrovert who is calm under pressure? Leverage that.
And if you can’t find your adaptability superpowers internally at the moment, another path involves counting on your environments — including people, organizations and physical spaces — to help you adapt more easily.*
We know we need this skill. Thankfully, adaptability is learnable and we can help each other get good at it.
*If you are curious about the elements that comprise adaptability, ask me about the Adaptability Quotient — it’s an evidence-based assessment tool that measures the adaptability of individuals and teams, and that’s where these elements of adaptability come from. There are more… You can also watch a couple of short videos on it here.