The need to adapt is not new. Here two irrefutable facts for our next generation.
- Everything is temporary. Nothing stays the same forever.
- No plan goes according to plan. Expect the unexpected.
Charles Darwin was right when he said: It is not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survives, but the one that is most adaptable to change!
The ability to adapt is just as important for a business as it is for staff. History is littered with organisations that failed to adapt. Think Kodak, Nokia, Blackberry, Blockbuster, Toys R Us, or Yahoo. Think also of the rise of “disrupters” that have targeted slow to adapt industries such Uber, Netflix, Amazon, Airbnb, and Canva. Indeed, since the start of the industrial revolution the one constant has been change. It is estimated by Deloitte Research, that around 70 per cent of all the jobs that will exist in 2035 have not yet been invented!
So, what does that mean for our next generation and their career? Adaptability is a core life skill that any employer will covet. It encompasses an ability to respond to ever-evolving new conditions, circumstances, skills, and working conditions. It requires new ways to:
- Transact business (business channels to market, and models of trading evolve);
- Work and do things (how work is transacted);
- Communicate (communication channels and platforms will continue to evolve);
- Learn (being able to access and apply knowledge will become even more immediate. A key skill will be to interpret and apply knowledge); and
- Think (how to adapt different thinking styles to different problems and circumstances).
Adaptability is a skill that transports through all life stages. The ability to respond and pivot is a mindset and habit. It is not what happens to you but what you do about it. Adaptability requires six attributes:
- A growth mindset – seek solutions;
- Foresight – see the big picture;
- Contingency planning – scenario thinking;
- Goal re-alignment – reset within context;
- Communication – oral and aural skills; and
- Critical reflection – thinking.
A growth mindset is what feeds curiosity, problem solving, creativity, and optimism. It enables the brainstorming and discovery of potential solutions. It requires an open mind and a willingness to listen to others. A fixed mindset kills adaptability.
Foresight is the ability to see the big picture. This provides context to the different problems and circumstances that arise. Foresight is the ability to foresee potential problems so actions can be taken to mitigate or avert potential risks and avoid unnecessary knock-on negative consequences to actions.
Contingency planning is what takes place after a potential risk is identified. As identified in the opening nothing goes according to plan. There are always potential issues. You are only as strong as your contingency plan. When a potential problem is identified, what is the likelihood of it occurring, and then what are the contingencies to enact and apply. A simple example is backing up digital data onto several platforms to ensure that if a computer crashes the data is not lost. An over-reliance on one practice without contingencies is fraught with a potential risk.
Goal re-alignment occurs when things happen so goals must be reset in context with the circumstances. This requires short term planning, and resetting what good progress will look like. It is how you turn a “lemon moment” into a “lemonade moment.” Nothing stays the same. So, goal realignment is something that requires constant attention. It is what helps us juggle our careers and personal lives week in week out. What does a good week look like? Well, it depends on what happens!
Communication is based on aural and oral skills. The ability to listen, interpret, and form a response is an aural skill. It is linked to a growth mindset – curiosity. The ability to deliver a response in the most appropriate style, tone, and language is an oral skill. Adapting communication style to the differing circumstances and audiences is a key leadership skill. This is central to adaptive leadership.
Critical reflection is how we learn. Without reflection on the feedback received no learning can take place. Critical reflection feeds our self-talk and self-awareness. How we interpret and respond to different circumstances and issues that life throws up at us will be a direct result of our ability to critically reflect.
Finally, adaptability is a life skill. Our next generation must be willing and able to adjust to any circumstance – because life won’t stay the same. That is a fact of life. Adaptability builds resilience and a propensity to think innovatively, objectively, critically, and creatively. The need for adaptability is not a new skill, but it is a diminishing skill. Like all life skills it requires practice and application. It is not taught in a classroom. The one irrefutable fact is the world will get more complex, and the rate of change will increase – not decrease. Adaptability is a ticket to living a fulfilled life.
Leadership Lesson
There can be no life without change.
To be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life.
An ability to adapt is about living life
– Theodore Roosevelt
Facta Non-Verba – Deeds Not Words
