Individual Counseling Insights From Westlake Village-Based Patricia McTague-Loft 

To say that the world is changing fast is a bit of an understatement. Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally affecting the way companies do business and creating new stock-market millionaires every day along the way. AI is also on the verge of either putting millions of people out of work or completely changing the nature of their jobs. Beyond AI, there’s social media. A generation ago people didn’t even know what social media was. Today, young people dream of becoming an “influencer.”

The currents of change flow through every aspect of our lives. However you see a development or issue, the list of major changes affecting our lives is seemingly endless.  The rise of identity politics. The proliferation of online streaming services. The rise (and fall) of the power and influence of a variety of countries.

How well you adapt to these changes may indicate how well you will be able to function in this rapidly changing world, especially in regard to your professional success. Writing for Success.com, Tony Alessandra says, “The concept of adaptability is a two-part process, combining the skills of flexibility with versatility. Flexibility is your willingness to adapt. It’s your attitude. Versatility is your ability to adapt. It’s your aptitude. People with adaptability skills are both flexible and versatile. Of course, our level of adaptability can be stronger in some situations than others. One reason for the gap between our ideal versus our actual level of adaptability is that it’s not an easy skill to learn.”

Flexibility

Let’s take the first part of that definition. Alessandra says there are five characteristics that contribute to superior flexibility.

Confidence. Being secure in what you know and believe helps you have the confidence to accept the necessity of change without being threatened.

Tolerance. Much of the change we are experiencing is driven by people from different backgrounds and cultures. Tolerance requires a non-judgmental attitude that allows you to accept new practices regardless of their origin.

Empathy. While similar to sympathy (which helps you acknowledge another’s feelings), empathy comes from the heart. You feel for them. Feeling for another who is either undergoing the same change that you are or is actually driving the change helps you accept the change.

Positivity. Seeing the world in a positive light is the foundation of a good attitude.

Respect. When you respect the people or underlying forces driving change, you’re more open to adapting to the change. You’re flexible.

Versatility

Like flexible people, versatile people have five traits in common.

Resilience. Many speeches and sermons have been given on the value of resilience. Its value is so universally acknowledged that it pops up in nearly every culture as a proverb or aphorism. The Japanese say, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”

Vision. A person who can see choices, options and opportunities in new situations has vision. That vision helps a person be willing and even eager to adapt.

Attentiveness. Adapting is not always easy. Even a person with vision needs to see details as well as the big picture. In addition, as Alessandra says, “It’s knowing when to act and when not to act. It means paying attention to more than your own needs.”

Competence. You may be able to solve problems that are created by change. But you may not. Competent people acknowledge their shortcomings and find someone or something to help them.

Self-correction. As with confidence, a measure of self-assuredness helps a person self-correct. It involves being confident enough to admit you’re on the wrong path in solving the problem — the goal is to adapt, not to show everyone you’re right.

Not everyone has all the traits required for adaptability in equal portions. That’s okay. What may be more important is avoiding the negative traits that prevent you from adapting.

According to Alessandra, these five characteristics negatively affect flexibility:

• Rigidity.
• Competition with others.
• Dissatisfaction.
• Unapproachability.
• Difficulty with ambiguity.

These five characteristics negatively affect versatility:

• Subjectivity.
• Bluntness.
• Resistance to change.
• Single-mindedness.
• Unreasonable risk-taking.

Looking for more ideas on adaptability? Alessandra discusses them in a book he co-authored: The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four Basic Business Personalities – And How They Can Lead You to Success