FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY

Are you able to adapt to new situations and challenges? Will you embrace change and be open to new ideas?

The only constant you can be sure of at work is change.  Companies don't change, people do. When you develop the skills to change, you can not only move faster than ever before, but your ability to change can also turn into a competitive advantage.  Adaptability skills are the positive traits you bring to the job, such as flexibility, reliability or patience.^[1]

Sandra Naiman, author of "The High Achiever's Secret Codebook,"  reveals unwritten rules for being successful at work. According to her, embracing and implementing change are keys to being a valuable and valued employee. To respond positively to change, despite being fearful of it or resistant to it, Naiman suggests the following strategies:

1. Define and acknowledge what is over and what is not. Honor those feelings of loss. Face them and do not deny any emotions that might surface. At the same time, identify what is not changing.
    
2. Look for the pony. Naiman recalls the joke about the quintessential optimist who jumps into a pile of manure, certain that there must be a pony in there somewhere. "No matter how tumultuous the change, there are opportunities available if people are open to looking for them," she says. "Identify the positives for yourself and the company, and then set your focus on them."
    
3. Jump on the bandwagon early. Once change is inevitable, people can choose to accept it or actively resist. "Whatever they choose, the change will take place. Those who engage sooner, rather than later, will be noticed and remembered, and so will those who go kicking and screaming," Naiman cautions.
    
4. Acquire new skills and knowledge that change necessitates. Be clear about what you need to learn in order to implement the change and take the initiative to do so. Read, take classes and seek opportunities to learn on the job.
    
5. Share with colleagues why the sudden change presents opportunities. Support peers by exploring with them ways that they can benefit from the change and help them take advantage of potential opportunities. They will appreciate your efforts, as will management.

In fact, one of the best-selling business books of all time, Who Moved by Cheese by Spencer Johnson, is all about change.  It is a quick read – if you haven’t read it, you absolutely must to understand change in the work environment. View a preview of the story in this short video.[2]