Leading Adaptability In The Workforce

Adaptability is an essential arrow in your workforce quiver–and it is a two way street. Leaders differentiate themselves from managers by giving employees a chance to succeed at new challenges and learn new hard skills.

“You must always be able to predict what’s next and have the flexibility to evolve.” – Marc Benioff

As the labor market tightens, hiring managers and recruiters are focusing on “soft skills,” such as adaptability–which is equally important with experience. In fact the danger of hiring for experience is you risk hiring someone who has spent 20 years repeating the same experience.

It is a mistake to consider the ability to change according to the needs of a situation shows weakness or a lack of conviction. The adaptability referred to as an essential soft skill is in reality the ability to continue to perform–even thrive–in the fast-paced workplace most employees find themselves. Change can be scary, but learning to adapt and flex as needed is an investment worth making.

Adaptability is the ability of an individual, team or company to adjust or transform in order to best meet the needs of the situation or market change. In such circumstances adaptable people adjust and find how best to perform in the new situation themselves, instead of having to be retrained. This adaptability, particularly with frontline employees, can make a significant difference in meeting evolving customer needs and maintaining–or increasing–the profitability of a company.

At the highest measurement, adaptability and flexibility is about creativity. It’s being open to other alternatives in any given situation or crises. It allows its possessor to look for the second or third “right” answer.

Just because a company or team has done something the same way for years, doesn’t mean it still works today. Thinking creatively, sometimes “out of the box,” will often produce a solution that is both effective and surprising. It is these solutions that add energy to projects and help them on their way to success.

It is much easier and more effective to take an employee you know and trust and help them learn new hard skills and take on new opportunities than hire someone with experience and hard skills that match a project, but risk they don’t have the soft skills you require or fit your culture of growth and change. Those who ignore innovation and change will not make it in todays markets–regardless of the market.