How Does Being Adaptable Make You Invaluable?
Photo by Viktor Hanacek
It’s true, more than ever, that employees who resist or fear change are becoming obsolete — regardless of what position they hold.
In today’s world, what was true at 9:00 a.m. could be old news by 10:30 a.m., and resistance to adapting to change can result in drama and chaos.
Being adaptable is having the ability to be flexible in handling change, multiple demands, and reworking ideas or approaches — and it’s extremely valuable to businesses.
As organizations become more comfortable within change, and able to adapt, they are more effective at achieving their big goals.
How can you be adaptable within change?
You can defuse feelings of resistance or reaction which typically show up as tension or heat, or as feelings of anger and frustration by following these steps:
Pause
Take a breath
Be curious!
How can curiosity ease the change process?
When you look beneath feelings of resistance, you get insight on how to move forward:
Are you resistant to something new or unexpected? Perhaps you’re remembering past changes that didn’t work out well?
Are anxious about not knowing how to do something? Or struggling retain expert status?
Is your ego trying to keep you safe and secure?
How do you shift from being an expert to a curious learner?
In today’s world being an expert in any area for any length of time is barely possible. The people who stay on top of their field are now curious learners.
Curious learners are always ready to ask questions, able to learn from others, and challenge themselves to develop new skills and learn new tools.
Reflect on times when you’ve successfully navigated change in the past.
What skills and talents did you depend on, what helped you?
What attitudes, behaviors, or actions made change harder on you?
Be open to the fun part of change!
There’s success to be found in unanticipated possibilities and unexpected outcomes.
Let go of assumptions or stories about how things “should be”. Instead, be receptive to being pleasantly surprised! Encourage others to remain open and curious too.
Celebrate victories along the way, appreciating the skills and talents that helped you reach new success.
What skills benefit both you and the whole organization?
Employees who are able to be curious learners instead of stubborn experts, who don’t take things personally, and can manage their emotions and ego, are worth their weight in gold.
These are the employees who will have the biggest impact in helping teams and departments hit company goals.
These are the employees that leaders can envision someday sharing a seat at the leadership table.
What’s missing from your professional development toolkit?
Most professional trainings focus on the traditional tools of management and staff development, and they miss teaching what’s essential for success today: development of self-awareness and the adaptable skills required for effective communication and collaboration.
By learning Navigating Challenging Dialogue®, you get the tools required to develop these valuable skills.
You’re invited to download our free resources to help you on your journey to change how you engage and communicate.
WANT TO LEARN THE COMPLETE NCD PROCESS?
The NCD Process provides the framework for having effective communication by extracting our thinking errors, recognizing and managing emotional hotspots, and being curious, cooperative learners. Participate in hands-on practice and get coaching from facilitators in both our online classes and in-person workshops.
We look forward to having you be part of the NCD movement!