To see adaptability in the workplace look at the big legacy companies continuing with hybrid work models post-pandemic.

Commonwealth Bank, CSL, Rio Tinto, Wesfarmers, Woolworths, Macquarie Bank and Telstra are embracing adaptability and flexibility in the workplace. \(1\)

Change doesnt have to fill us with fear. Adaptability in the workplace is about courageously and positively _embracing_ that change and _changing yourself_ to respond to it.

We learned in our [masterclass with executive coach John Spence](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/improveadaptability) why adaptability is important in the workplace and core adaptability skills to set you up for the future.

So, in the lead up to the event, lets explore adaptability and flexibility.

Adaptability is adjusting to changing conditions at work as needed.

Your ability to determine **what's relevant** , to forget **obsolete knowledge** , overcome **challenges** , and **adjust to change** in real time is called your Adaptability Quotient \(AQ\) \(2\)

_Impact Players_ author Liz Wiseman says a trait of adaptable team members \(she calls them impact players\) is they get their **arms around chaos** , instead of freezing up.

They see challenges as opportunities, and embrace **messy problems** , **unclear roles** , **unforeseen obstacles** , **moving targets** , and **unrelenting demands**.

These are the everyday, perennial realities of the modern workplace, she says.

[****](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/leadershipqualities)[ **Free Download** : How to Create a Culture of Accountability in 2023](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/whitepaperaccountability2023)

What is Adaptability in the Workplace?

When COVID-19 hit, the global workforce became a mass experiment in fast-tracking adaptability skills.

Many workers had to install and learn new technologies, attend virtual meetings, work without supervision, and care for their teams and familys wellbeing during lockdowns.

As a result, adaptability, resilience, and optimism rose in importance as **highly regarded skills** in the workplace.

As John Spence says, organisations must be **adaptable, agile, nimble** , and **resilient** to survive in todays marketplace.

_However, organisations are not adaptable. People who have a high AQ create organisational adaptability._

Why Do We Welcome Adaptability, Resilience & Optimism in the Workplace?

Adaptability covers a range of skills we can rely on during times of change. By strengthening these skills, team members can help build their own ability to adapt, as well as the overall adaptability of the team and the company.

Without further ado, lets look at some key skills our expert authors and speakers are telling us will be needed into the future.

4 Types of Adaptability Skills For Employees

Getting team culture right, where all team members move as one dynamic entity, is one of the most powerful things you can do for future success.

Organisational health expert Patrick Lencioni, back for our [Global Headline live online event](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000FJXCEA4) in May 2023, is author of _The Ideal Team Player_.

From his previous event on [team building](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/teambuilding);

Ability to Work as a Team

1.  **Humble**  they share credit and celebrate the teams collective win.
  2.  **Hungry**  they are motivated and diligent. They go above and beyond.
  3.  **Smart**  they are emotionally intelligent and exercise great judgement.

An ideal team player must have all 3 attributes. Having only 1 or 2 of these virtues makes you less than ideal.

With these attributes, the team member can adjust as needed to band together with other team members to deal with unexpected changes.

3 virtues of an Ideal Team Player

Adaptability is a soft skill, as is communication. Both are interpersonal skills that require [self-awareness](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/multipliersanddiminishers) and being a good communicator can help employees improve their AQ.

After all, a team member can only embrace new opportunities if they can **communicate their needs and ideas** , listen actively, ask questions, convince others with their arguments for change, explain things succinctly, and argue their points effectively.

Charlene Li \( _The Disruption Mindset_ \) says enterprise collaboration tools and platforms like SharePoint, Teams, and Slack are ideal for communication, breaking down the power distance, and building trust.

Ability to Communicate Effectively

When Jethro Jones interviewed for a job of principal at Tanana Middle School in Fairbanks, Alaska, he was told the school was being considered for closure due to declining enrolment.

Undeterred, he became one of the best **adaptability in the workplace examples** by telling his staff it was a  **unique opportunity** to take risks and do things differently.

With the students they built hockey rinks, repaired furniture, made escape rooms and started up programs and clubs. They taught sign language, raised awareness about suicide, and ran programs to prevent bullying. The school became a model for personalised learning across the district.

Interestingly, when COVID-19 hit, the teachers didnt miss a beat because they had developed new mindsets of being resourceful and adaptable. \(3\)

Being Resourceful

Adaptability is really all about critical thinking and continuous rapid experimentation.

Take successful clothing retailer Zara. According to Josh Linkner, author of  _Hacking Innovation_ , Zara is continually learning with a sophisticated feedback system.

Store managers report back on initial design runs and adjustments are made before mass production.

Team members with a **learning mindset** are also more likely to be highly adaptable when transformational change requires it.

For this reason, [incorporating social and emotional learning](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/socialemotionallearning) opportunities for team members is good for team flexibility and adaptability, as well as engagement and retention.

Being Open to Learn

Someone who rolls with the punches, and with a smile on their face, will always be a top pick for employers. With rapid changes in the business world, organisations need adaptable employees to help them add **value** , stay **relevant** , and **fend off competition**. Here are just some of the benefits of adaptability for employees.

4 Benefits of Adaptability For Employees

It goes without saying that a flexible and adaptable employee is more valuable to their employer. As Liz Wiseman \( _Impact Players_ \) says, such employees venture beyond their assigned job to tackle the **real job** that needs to be done, and focus on where they are most useful.

_As they do, they increase organisational responsiveness, create a culture of agility and service, and build a reputation as flexible utility players who can be valuable in a variety of roles._

You Become More Valuable

Research by the Centre for Creative Leadership \(CCL\) found that the **_inability_ to develop or adapt** was the most frequently cited reason for career derailment among North American managers.

Adaptability is a requirement for leadership in the modern workplace.

The most adaptable leadership styles are situational leadership and adaptive leadership, two of the [10 leadership styles](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/leadershipstyles), and probably the picks of the lot when business-as-usual is disrupted.

Adaptive leaders are great with people, and capable of shifts that move an organisation towards a future state. Situational leaders have multiple competencies they can bring to bear in times of crisis.

Youre Better Equipped to Lead

By seeing challenges as opportunities, team members with adaptability skills can deal better with difficulties. In fact, they can thrive on those challenges.

This April, Growth Faculty has a **live and interactive masterclass** on developing adaptability and resilience fitness with Andrea Clarke  [**Future Fit: Adapting and Responding to Change**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g0000004SyPEAU)

Andrea says adaptability and resilience are needed for leaders to transform their teams and be ready for uncertainty.

Youre More Resilient

One of our speakers [Shannon Byrne Susko](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/GREATIDEAS3HAGWAYbyShannonByrneSusko) demonstrated an ability to embrace change by creating _3HagWay_ to save her tech company Paradata.

Showing extraordinary adaptability under pressure, she gutted out a strategy  a totally new business model - that turned her company around so successfully it was bought by a competitor.

Shannon says the process was iterative, improving it each time. That called for flexibility, adaptability, and grit.

Asked her secret of success? _A team that was as committed and gritty about the win as I was._

Learning to embrace change helps you to thrive during downturns, about turns, and disruption.

You Learn to Embrace Change

Adaptability is embedded into the [**5 levels \(or pillars\) of strategic thinking**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/betterstrategy) says John Spence.

_Strategic thinking goes hand in hand with organisational adaptability, which calls for PASSION, PERSISTANCE, PRACTICE, and PATTERN RECOGNITION \(according to The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance\),_ he says.

_If you'd like to increase your professional and personal development why not consider becoming a_[ _Growth Faculty Pass_](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/growthfacultypass/) _holder? Unlimited access to 40 live virtual masterclasses and Global Headliner virtual events - PLUS year-round leadership content at On Demand with videos, podcasts and book summaries. Join a community of knowledge seekers who are inspired by the best._[ **_See who's up next_**](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/?promoCode=Blog#liveevents)[ **_._**](https://growth.lightning.force.com/lightning/r/Blog_Post__c/a1d4G000004oYwKQAU/view)

1. Emma Koehn and Jessica Irvine, 2021, _The Five Day Office Week is Dead, Long Live the Hybrid Model, says Productivity Boss_ , _SMH_ and _The Age_ survey.

2. Callum Hughson, 2020, _Adaptability Quotient,_ The Ivey Academy

3. Story p. 10 from _Impact Players_ by Liz Wiseman

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