Adaptability

Are you ready to learn and accept the changing work environment positively? Are you willing to discover
new things and handle multiple workflows? If yes is the solution, then you have adaptability skills, and it
is one of the most highly sought leadership skills for job opportunities. Leaders who can adapt to change
motivated and not quickly discourages are individuals who are more creative than an average employee.
Adaptability skills are one of the essential skills which the company looks for in employees.
Organizations prefer candidates who can exhibit strong adaptability skills and can become company
leaders later in future.

What do you mean by adaptability skills?

Adaptability skills are a set of skill set which defines as a capacity of an individual to change his actions,
course or way to deal with getting things done to suit another circumstance. Being adaptable in your
profession can mean you can react rapidly to evolving thoughts, responsibilities, desires, patterns,
strategies and other procedures at work. Being adaptable additionally implies having soft skills like
communication, interpersonal, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By showcasing your
adaptability skills, you are revealing that how well-motivated are you to try new and exciting things.

Examples of Adaptability Skills

Adaptability skills require various numbers of soft skills to be applied successfully. It would be best if you
learned about these skills to put your learning in practice. Some of the skills to strengthen your
adaptability are:

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are the practices and strategies an individual uses to interact with others viably. In
the professional world, the phrase refers to an employee’s capacity to cooperate with other people. It
plays a crucial role in depicting your overall adaptability. Being able to interact with others can help you
to neglect conflict and miscommunication.

Communication skills

Your adaptability skills depend on how effectively you can communicate with your managers and
teammates. Active listening and other modes of communication are equal and essential aspects of
adaptability. It can also help you to direct changes in your office dynamics or team relationships.

Problem-solving skills

Your adaptable nature also depends on problem-solving skills. You might use this skill to look out for
creative ideas and ways to solve challenging issues. It also means to analyze and observe your approach
to solve a new problem which can show managers to make improvements and alterations in the way
you solve problems at work.

Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are vital for succeeding at work with no reference to your job title and industry.
Working and coordinating well with your managers, clients and colleagues during meetings,
conversations, and other collaboration can help you to complete the tasks differently while creating an
enjoyable environment for both yourself and others.

Organizational skills

Organizational skills depict your abilities which let you stay focused on various tasks and utilize your
strength, time and energy effectively and efficiently to achieve the desired outcome. When you prepare
for your upcoming event in advance with prepared paperwork, organized work area and other aspects
of the job, you can perform better with all those operational changes at work.

Time management skills

Managing your time well can improve your career and let you manage your work timely. Employers who
operate their time well are more efficient, productive and likely to meet deadlines. Being adaptable
determines how well you can manage your time and produce results effectively. Time management
includes a variety of skills like prioritization, communication, planning, delegation, stress management,
goal setting etc.

Need for adaptability

Ways adaptability helps us

There are lots of benefits we can gain by being flexible and adaptable. If you have reached that point in
life where adaptability becomes necessary, just know there are lots of benefits to be gained. It will
definitely not be easy at first, but patience and practice can do a lot.

#1 Your value will increase at your workplace

In this modern era, adaptability has become the watchword of doing business. What this means is that
as an employee, you must be willing to adapt as well.

Adaptability opens up your mind to new ideas, makes you question status quo, and gives you the
willingness to go against convention. Adaptable people aren’t scared of change, as they will first make
necessary plans to handle it.

Most organizations are now emphasizing the importance of adaptability amongst the employees, and
this trend will definitely continue into the future. 91% of HR experts believe that by 2018, the major
criteria for recruitment will be the ability of a candidate to adapt. If you really want to shine out in the
job market by then, it is important for you to start now in sharpening your adaptability skills. Doing so
ensures you remain marketable even in the ever changing business atmosphere.

#2 Adaptability is a skill every leader must have

Adaptability can’t afford to be missing if you want to do well as a leader. Adaptable leaders earn the
respect of their colleagues and motivate those they lead to embrace change, making business operation
as smooth as possible.

Leaders are always confronted with challenges that require them to be decisive in implementing change.
Failure to arrive at a decision as fast as possible can cause their organization to sink in fast.

#3 Adaptability creates more happiness and overall life satisfaction

According to Guy Winch, there is so much we stand to benefit when we are willing to adapt. One of the
most prominent ones is more happiness in life. “We will always be confronted with Psychological
challenges in life. Some after waves of hopelessness take a bow; some courageously take on these
setbacks, learn whatever lesson life gives them, and then move on with life. One fact we can’t deny is
that our happiness, satisfaction and ability to build a quality relationship; is largely dependent on our
adaptability skill.”

Adaptability helps you stand strong in seeming hopeless situation. Once you assure yourself that you
have all it takes to begin the change process right within you, you will have unlocked more happiness for
yourself.

#4 Makes it possible for you to smoothly go through career changes

Let’s say you find yourself back again in the job market after some major downsizing in your place of
work. What will you do first? Throw in the towel, and then let hopelessness take over you as you search
for jobs? Or will you consider all your options, and then find out where your strength really lies, and
then search for jobs in industries you haven’t worked in before?

If you are adaptable, finding another job won’t be much of a work and when you finally find it, managing
the job’s task won’t take much effort from you. Overcoming procrastination will become quite easy for
you, as you will find updating your resume something you will be doing all the time. Adaptability
increases your chances of succeeding, as you will find yourself trying out different job roles while
searching for a job.

#5 Whenever life knocks you down, bouncing back will become easy

There are times we experience unexpected unpleasant situations in life. Being adaptable ensures you
stay afloat when adversities of life try to sink you down. Instead of running away from reality, you
embrace it and flow with it.

Adaptable people are resilient people. Dean Becker, an expert in resiliency is the view that our success
in life is built on our ability to adapt.

He went on to say, “An individual’s success isn’t dependent on their level of education, intelligence or
experience. It is their level of resilience that really matters. This is true in sports, medicine, business etc.”

Adaptability expands your capacity to handle change, no matter how serious it might be. Instead of
throwing away your energy trying to change your circumstance, you will change yourself right from
within, thus making you thrive in whatever situation you find yourself.

How to highlight adaptability skills on your resume and interview

You can very well highlight your adaptability skills on your resume by highlighting some of the skills and
providing examples of skills like leadership, communication, and teamwork. When heading for an
interview, you can highlight your adaptability skills by providing the interviewer with instances that you
have applied in your previous organization. You can use your past achievements and experiences which
can help you to answer the interviewer's question effectively.

How to develop adaptability skills

Adaptability comes easily for some. But even if it doesn't come naturally to you, it's still something you
can develop. Take a look at five tips you can use to build, refine, and grow your adaptability skills
through exercises and practice.

1.Learn to embrace change

You’ve heard it before but we’ll say it again—you will always need to face change. Or, in the words of
the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “Change is the only constant in life.” You can avoid and deny
it, but it’s not going to make it go away.

Learning to embrace and even look forward to change can help you become a more adaptable leader.
Teach yourself to embrace any situation by taking more risks and accepting the results, whatever they
are. Practice self-care during particularly difficult changes and reach out for support when needed.
Above all else, be kind to yourself—even as you learn to embrace it, change is never easy.

Example: Your team just got restructured. This is your third time having to adjust to new team members
and responsibilities, and now you’re expected to learn new skills and adjust your work life all over again.

Instead of feeling frustrated, try appreciating the benefits of this change. Maybe you’re better
positioned to move into leadership roles. Or maybe it’s an opportunity to expand your network within
your new team. As you learn to embrace changes both large and small, you’re actively building the
muscle to be more adaptable whenever new challenges arise.

2. Keep an open mind

We all have an idea of how we think things should go. This is normal. This type of thinking is a shortcut
that helps our brain process information more efficiently. While it can sometimes be beneficial, there
are also times when thinking this way closes our mind to new opportunities. That's because you're so
focused on what you think should happen that you don't embrace what could happen. Being adaptable
is about being willing to pivot.

Exercising your brain can help you become more open-minded when you’re faced with a new situation.
Try these tips to develop an open mind:

Ask higher level questions that go beyond the “what” to the more crucial “why’s” of the situation.

Practice active listening when you’re learning something new.

Withhold judgements until you have all the information—this includes limiting beliefs about yourself or
your capabilities.

Try to think about the current situation from every angle, stretching your mind to include all of the
varying possibilities.

Example: You work in content and rely heavily on the design team to supply you with imagery to support
your work. After a few months, the designer you’ve been working with starts taking longer to respond
and missing deadlines. You become increasingly resentful as you suddenly need to do your job and—in
your mind—theirs.

Instead of holding onto resentment and assumptions, you sit down with the designer to try to
understand their perspective. You realize the designer has been under an increasing amount of pressure
because someone on their team left suddenly and they’ve been picking up the slack. Because you went
into the conversation with an open mind, you’re able to be understanding and come up with a solution.

Written out like that, it can seem like such a simple solution. But it’s hard to have these types of
conversations if you don’t approach a situation with an open mind.

3. Leave your ego at the door

Your ego is your sense of self. If you follow a more philosophical viewpoint, it’s not inherently bad or
good, the ego just is. But because it’s naturally self-centered, the ego is not always the most helpful
communication tool. Stepping outside of yourself—removing the ego—allows you to see other
perspectives more clearly and embrace change. In short, practicing leaving your ego out of the
workplace builds on many other adaptability skills.

The best way to do this? Take any situation that might normally be frustrating and pause. Take a deep
breath. Ask yourself—can you let go of how you think things are supposed to go? And, going one step
further, learn to appreciate the result no matter the outcome? If you’re able to accept and even
celebrate a wide variety of outcomes, you’re setting an important precedent—that anything is possible.
And that no matter what, you can adapt and move forward.

Example: Your team recently hosted a creative brainstorming session, but your idea didn't get chosen.
It’s normal to feel disappointed. But instead of staying sad about it, you can choose to let it go. Leave
your ego at the door and embrace the idea your team decided to move forward with. In doing so, you’re
making it safe for others to express their creativity with even more unique ideas. You’re also teaching
yourself that there are multiple solutions to a problem, and you can adapt no matter which one moves
forward.

4. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the act of focusing on the present moment without trying to change anything about it.
Instead of jumping in with solutions or ideas, mindfulness allows you to take a step back and reflect on
what’s happening. This allows you to be more flexible and appreciate the moment, which makes you
more open to change.

Mindfulness is so important to us here at Asana that we’ve made it one of our core company values. To
implement mindfulness in your day to day, try these two steps to acknowledge your emotions and let go
of them:

Put less attention on the past and future. You can’t change something once it happens, but you can
accept it. Thinking about what could or should have happened likely won’t help and it might even make
things worse.

Focus on what's happening now. Instead, lean into the situation as it is. This allows you to let go of
things outside of your control and pay attention to those things you can change.

Example: Your IT team installed new software on your laptop that accidentally deleted all your existing
files—including a project that was due today. Instead of reacting, you assess the situation objectively,
running through the facts. What can you do about it?
Mindfully putting yourself in the moment allows you to begin the process of problem-solving. This can
include letting your boss know about the problem, reaching out to IT about a potential cloud backup,
and reaching out to team members for any saved files they might have.

Nothing has changed about the situation. You still lost a lot of hard work. But instead of wasting more
time and energy mourning it, you can take action to solve the problem as quickly and efficiently as
possible.

5. Push yourself out of your comfort zone

Most of us want to stay inside our comfort zone. It’s natural. Our brain likes comfortable experiences
and encourages us to seek them out. But if you only do things you’re comfortable with, you won’t be as
prepared when changes do inevitably come up.

You can begin to expand your comfort zone with small tweaks. Practice placing yourself in new and
challenging situations where you have control over the outcome. It doesn’t have to be jumping out of an
airplane. Simple things like taking a new route to work can help you think more creatively and become
more flexible.

Example: Imagine you have an idea for a new project that your team could be working on. But typically,
ideas come from your boss—not from you and your coworkers. Instead of waiting for the next rollout
from a manager, you could see this as an opportunity to push past your comfort zone.

So, pitch your idea to your boss. It doesn’t matter if they don’t move forward with it. The beauty of
pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is that the outcome isn’t important. It’s the process that’s
most helpful.