When our world is rocked by something negative \(like the pandemic\), we go on a rollercoaster of emotional responses. These responses may include feeling immobilised, angry, in denial, or depressed.

But even a terrible pandemic has its positives. People reported _greater community, quality time with family, opportunity for hybrid work, a more connected team_ , and _a chance to take a step back._

Looking at **positives** when faced with change is one way to improve your adaptability quotient \(AQ\) says international executive coach John Spence, who led our masterclass on the subject. Lets see what else John suggests for improving adaptability.

First up, why do we need to [improve adaptability in the workplace](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/adaptabilityinworkplace)? John says being _competent_ in your job is simply not enough to succeed or lead in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world.

He says 3 quotients IQ, EQ and AQ are needed now.

#### **IQ**

pertains to competence in the job role and in leadership characteristics.

#### **EQ** 

covers self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

#### **AQ** 

is our aptitude for successfully navigating change.

Research shows up to **80% of people will leave a job** because of the behaviour or characteristics of their immediate supervisor. But people can learn to change and adapt by working with 5 elements of AQ. Keep reading to see them listed out.

**Team exercise:** List out the skills and behaviours of your **best boss** and your **worst boss**. Then mark every characteristic as either IQ or EQ. What is the ratio of IQ to EQ? John says it can be more than 1:2 and as high as 1:10 (in other words, EQ makes the difference).

IQ, EQ, and AQ

5 elements to the adaptability quotient:

Put simply, you must be a voracious learner. Dedicate yourself to learning.

1.Learning agility

Be prepared to [unlearn \(or rethink\)](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000FwSsEAK) as you learn. Do old rules still apply? Question old ways and habits. What can I do to make the changes we need?

2.Flexibility

Self-awareness is a key aspect of EQ (read the summary of our [Vertical Growth masterclass](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/verticalgrowth) on self-awareness with Michael Bunting).

Psychologist Daniel Goleman was first responsible for the pairing of emotional intelligence with business leadership. In his _New York Times_ bestseller _Emotional Intelligence,_ he stated EQ was a highly valued skill in the workplace and one of the strongest indicators of performance.

3.Emotional Intelligence

Critical thinking, great problem solving, and a [psychologically safe workplace](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/psychologicallysafeworkplaces) \(where people can take prudent risks and celebrate micro-failures without punishment\).

4.Innovation

This is your nimblocity  your ability to be nimble, to be highly resilient when change comes, and your ability to bounce back.

5.Resilience

As John told our masterclass, _Life doesnt get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient._

In a moment well look at how to improve adaptability at organisational level, but first how do you improve AQ in individuals? What can you do to make yourself more agile, more adaptable to change? John lists 7 ways

7 ways to improve your AQ

Embrace, even proactively seek change, and be open to new ideas and perspectives.

Embrace change

Develop a growth mindset and continuously learn new skills and knowledge. Be courageous enough to ask for help.

Growth mindset

Stay flexible and be able to adjust to changing circumstances.

Stay flexible

Build a strong network of diverse relationships and seek out diverse experiences.

Seek out others

Practice problem-solving and critical thinking to find creative solutions to challenges.

Practice scenario planning

Cultivate emotional intelligence and self-awareness to better understand and manage your reactions to change.

Work on your soft skills

Maintain a positive attitude and focus on opportunities instead of obstacles.

Be a glass-half-full person

Out of 10, score how well each of you do on **continuously learning new skills and knowledge** , seeking out **diverse people and experiences** , improving **self-awareness** , and maintaining a **positive attitude** to focus on opportunities instead of obstacles. Go through the whole list and score yourselves\!

Team exercise:

Its one thing to have several AQ A-players in a business, but to succeed you must ensure the whole organisation is increasing its ability to adapt.

In a VUCA world John suggests countering volatility with **vision** , meeting uncertainty with **understanding** , reacting to complexity with **clarity** , and fighting ambiguity with **agility**.

#### 6 ways to improve AQ in organisations:

1\. Foster a culture of **continuous improvement**.

2\. Promote **cross-functional collaboration** (dont stick to siloed departments)

3\. Foster a culture of **experimentation**.

4\. Promote continuous **learning**.

5\. Encourage **transparency** and open communication.

6\. Foster a culture of **empowerment**.

#### **Team exercise:** From one to 10, score yourself! How does your organisation do on these 6 things?

Ways to improve AQ in organisations

54% of HR leads surveyed by Gartner reported that their people were suffering from change fatigue.

Getting [change management right in a post-pandemic world](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/changemanagementprinciples) is a challenge.

[The Kotter Change Model](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/kotters-8-step-change-model) **** lists steps for managing change. John Spence says there are 4 that are important for alleviating **change resistance** :

1\. Create an **irresistible case for change.**

2\. Paint a vivid and compelling **vision of the future.**

3\. Create a **sense of urgency.**

4\. Form a powerful coalition of **change champions**

4 steps to alleviate change resistance

A rollercoaster of emotional responses to change. Image credit: John Spence

How you choose to react to something, what you focus on, what your mindset is, and what your response will be are going to help or hinder your ability to adapt.

So, build up your AQ muscles with these exercises:

1\. Recognise when you are telling yourself a **distorted story**. Are you making this story up? Can you make up a positive story instead?

2\. Reframe setbacks as **opportunities for growth**.

3\. Cultivate a belief in your **ability to cope**. John shared the story of losing everything in a hurricane and how he developed greater self-belief in his ability to cope as a result of the tragedy.

4\. Focus on **events you can control**. Its not what happens, its how you react to what happens.

5\. Recognise your **strengths**. All of us have strengths.

6\. Develop **strong relationships**. A Harvard Business School study following students for 67 years found strong personal relationships was the single element that made them feel if life was successful.

7\. Consider your **purpose**. It is easier to have IQ, EQ, and AQ when it is driven from _This is what Im put here to do. This is how it impacts people._

Build up and exercise your AQ muscles

Ask yourself, what were the **positives** that came out of the pandemic? Think of a time when were you **greatly challenged** - how was your ability to cope? Who in your circle would you **trust** your life and family with?

Personal challenge:

In times of chaos, your organisation must send lots of signals of safety, belonging, and appreciation.

But if you want to make a start on becoming more adaptable John suggests starting on learning.

Be a living example of a lifelong learner, he says. If you read 12 business books a year (or equivalent electronic media courses and teachings), you are in the top 1% of the business community.

At the end of the day,

_You become what you focus on and who you surround yourself with._

John's book recommendations for the masterclass were: _Meditations_ by Marcus Aurelius and _"Learned Optimism"_ by Martin Seligman.

Summary

_Specifically curated for CEOs and top-tier managers and executives, our_[Senior Leadership Program ](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000RBLAEA4&promoCode=ET&utm_source=ET&utm_term=ET&utm_content=ET)in October 2023 distills the wisdom of the worlds most respected researchers and authors, such as Jim Collins, on the essential skills for leadership excellence.

Facilitator John Spences approach, which revolves around making the complex easy, will empower CEOs to not just learn, but to develop actionable strategies.

If you're a CEO, or aspire to be one, our [Senior Leadership Program](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000RBLAEA4&promoCode=ET&utm_source=ET&utm_term=ET&utm_content=ET) promises a transformative experience. Because, as Indra Nooyi aptly put it, the success of the leader reflects the success of the entire organisation.

_"The distance between number one and number two is always a constant. If you want to improve the organization, you have to improve yourself and the organization gets pulled up with you."_

Image: Photo of John and graph both from John Spence

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