What is Adaptability? And Why Do I Need It For Career Success?

If you're not adapting, you're not surviving. This is as true in the workplace as it is in the natural world. Those who succeed are those who learn to embrace change in the landscape of their industry and adapt their processes and products accordingly.

But what does it mean to be adaptable at work? Why is it an important part of your Career Success? Is adaptability something you can learn and grow? And if so, how can you develop your own adaptability skills?

Let's take a closer look.

What is Adaptability?

Adaptability is the ability to change or be changed to suit new circumstances. It's about being flexible and pivoting when new opportunities or challenges arise. It’s also about building a variety of skills that are transferrable between different roles and responsibilities.

As workplaces focus on the future of work, adaptable people are in demand because they’re great at thinking on their feet, coming up with creative solutions, and making decisions quickly.

You can think about adaptability in 3 main categories:

• Cognitive: You can think through different strategies and frameworks to arrive at several possible outcomes.
• Emotional: You consider and understand the emotions that others are experiencing – without being dismissive.
• Personality-related: Your mindset is open, optimistic and realistic, meaning you see what is and imagine what could be.

Why is Adaptability Important?

In a world of constant change, what works today might not work tomorrow. What was once a best practice can quickly become outdated. Technology evolves at an exponential rate, new competitors enter the market regularly, and consumer tastes shift on a whim.

If a company can’t adapt to these changes quickly, they’ll quickly fall behind – or go out of business entirely. And if employees can’t adapt with them, they’ll get left behind, too.

Adaptability helps you respond to the ups and downs in your market, build a competitive edge, and even become better at what you do! And if you’re looking for a career, it’s a critical skill that employers are hungry for.

How Can You Develop Adaptability in Yourself and Your Team?

The good news is that adaptability skills can be developed over time with practice! Here are a few tips for flexing your muscles:

1 - Challenge yourself to think in new ways.

One of the best ways to develop adaptability is to create an environment where creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are encouraged. For example, you could take an existing sales process and run an experiment to find ways to improve it.

When employees feel like they can freely share their ideas, they'll be more likely to come up with creative solutions to problems — solutions that could lead to real innovation.

2 - Be open to change.

When you’re adaptable, you don’t resist new ideas or quickly write them off as impossible.” Instead, you're proactive about trying new things and embracing the possibilities that come with change when it happens.

You think both critically and creatively about the challenges and possibilities ahead, and in doing so, you encourage others to do the same.

3 - Take a few risks.

There’s a time and place for taking it safe. But sometimes, taking a chance on a risk and trying new things can pay off. Some of those risks might not pan out — but others could lead to big breakthroughs in your life and career. You won’t know until you try!

And even if a particular risk doesn't work out, you and others around you can still learn valuable lessons from the experience that will improve a future endeavor.

Level Up Your Adaptability with Uvaro

Developing adaptability is essential for success in any career! Those who are able to embrace change and adapt to new situations are more likely to thrive and advance in their careers.

You can improve your adaptability by fostering creativity, being open-minded, and taking risks. It's also important to have a clear idea of what Career Success means to you and to work on developing the skills and techniques that will help you achieve it.

At Uvaro, we are committed to helping our students achieve Career Success, which we define as 'experiencing financial health and work you enjoy, while feeling fulfilled in your peer community and life choices'.

To learn more about how to set yourself on the path to Career Success and develop key skills like adaptability, time management, and communication, download our Career Success Catalog today.