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Illustration by Marian Blair<\/p>\n
\u201cThe art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings,\u201d wrote Japanese philosopher and artist Okakura Kakuz\u014d at the turn of the 20th century. What he knew then\u2014and what leaders and researchers are studying over 100 years later\u2014is that adaptability <\/em>gives you an advantage. Those who are in harmony with ever-changing environments have greater life satisfaction and higher likelihood of enjoying their work life. And at the office, it\u2019s the adaptable people who are given the sweet projects, because their managers know they\u2019ll deliver despite uncertainty.<\/p>\n But this kind of agility seems complicated. Why not stay where you are\u2014consistent, reliable, never wavering? Without adaptability in the workplace, you risk being left behind. Read on for the ins and outs of this invaluable art, and the behaviors that go along with it.<\/p>\n Imagine that your organization has a big transition on the horizon, and they need to promote leaders who can weather it with positivity and lead a newly composed team through upcoming challenges. You might be at the top of the list if you have demonstrated any of the three different kinds of adaptability<\/a> identified by Allan Calarco, co-author of Adaptability: Responding Effectively to Change<\/em>: <\/p>\n So when you\u2019re looking to impress with your ability to be agile, know that there are many ways to do so.<\/p>\n Knowing what\u2019s involved in adaptability in the workplace doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you\u2019re walking the walk. If you need a little help putting agility into practice, take a few suggestions from Karen Van Dam, PhD, who cites four skills to become a more agile leader: situational awareness, cognitive awareness, focused attention, and a positive state of mind. Here are some easy ways to get started: <\/p>\n If you are already pretty comfortable with change but others on your team are not, don\u2019t be so quick to judge. A 2008 study focused on personal adaptability at work<\/a> found that individuals\u2019 \u201ccapacity to respond to challenges with resilience\u201d happened to be positively correlated with emotional support, tools and resources provided by their manager. (Two other factors were your self-perceived ability to find another job and your confidence in the knowledge needed to do your job well.) <\/p>\n So even if you have a leg up on adaptability in the workplace, there might be others who are just not into it. In that case, examine how changes in your work environment could help. For example, Gallup\u2019s research<\/a> found that employees will weather organizational changes<\/a> well when their employer not only espouses the right mindset but also provides the right tools to ensure that employees can follow through on changes. <\/p>\n Imagine your manager says it\u2019s okay to experiment with different collaboration technologies to see which works best for the team, thereby encouraging a mindset<\/em> of flexibility and creativity\u2014but when a specific technology is chosen, the manager won\u2019t pull funds from the department budget to pay for it. At that point they will have quashed employees\u2019 ability to be agile by not providing the tools<\/em> to move forward. Both the mindset and the tools required are equally important. <\/p>\n The next time you\u2019re facing an upcoming change, remember the many ways you can foster a little more flexibility, creativity and resilience among your team members\u2014<\/em>not only for your own well-being, but for theirs too.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\nHow to flex your adaptability muscles<\/h2>\n
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How to build adaptability in the workplace<\/h2>\n
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Good management makes a difference<\/h2>\n