Learn to Adapt

The only constant is change.

This philosophy dates back to the ancient greeks and has never been more true than it is today.

As a professional, you MUST be able to adapt to change.  Organizations expand and downsize, markets gyrate wildly, partnerships emerge and dissolve.  Adaptability is a key success factor in your career and it is a skill you can practice and develop.

Allan Calarco of The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) co-authored, along with Joan Gurvis,  Adaptability: Responding Effectively to Change which examines the process of dealing with change and transition.

“To survive change in your organization or industry or profession, you must first lead yourself through the process of transition,” says Calarco. “This includes finding ways to help yourself feel more grounded, understanding the impact that change is having on you, and understanding the impact of your behavior on others.”

Calarco identifies three components of adaptability:

• cognitive flexibility:  ability to incorporate different thinking strategies and mental frameworks into their planning, decision-making and managing day-to-day work;
• emotional flexibility:  ability to vary the approach to dealing with their own and others’ emotions — an area that many leaders often fail to consider; and
• dispositional flexibility:  (or personality-related flexibility) ability to operate from a place of optimism grounded in realism and openness.

Click here to read the full article.

[Editor’s Note: since the time of this post, CCL has changed the access to it’s content.  You must register on their site (free) in order to access the full article.]

Read the related Career-ology post: Reading List: Who Moved My Cheese?