How adaptable do you really need to be?

And even that’s gathering pace—62% of workers felt they experienced more change year on year in 2024.

So, is it time to curl up in a fetal position and hope it all goes away? No no. We’ve just got to be adaptable. Thankfully, EZRA coach, Marty Avery, is here to help.

What does it mean to be truly adaptable?

A dictionary will say something like ‘the ability to adjust to new conditions’, but Marty has a more poetic view.

“To be adaptable is to be like water. It’s about taking the shape you need in any given situation, fluidly shifting to get the outcome you need.”

Go with the flow, roll with the punches, the abundance of phraseology that encapsulates this idea points to its importance.

Why is adaptability important?

The reason is simple. “At every level of an organization, adaptability is what keeps us alive,” Marty tells us. “Whether you're an individual, a team, or an organization, adaptability is a non-negotiable.”

And that’s why workplace social media goliaths LinkedIn ranked it as their top skill of the moment last year. It’s also why it consistently features in the upper echelons of lists of skills needed for the future.

4 ways to nurture adaptability

Happily, adaptability is something we can all improve. Here’s how.

1. Embrace change

Resistance is futile. We need to actively embrace change, so challenges become opportunities.

“Adaptability starts with mindstate,” Marty says. “You have to be willing to change things up…It’s about recognizing that, like water, we can take on any form, and in doing so, we can survive and thrive in the ever-changing world around us.”

So, it’s not just about bouncing back. Jargon alert: it’s about bouncing forward.

2. Be curious

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it could also keep the employee in a job. “To adapt, you need curiosity,” Marty tells us. “You need to think like a scientist—experimenting, exploring, questioning.”

Constantly seeking new knowledge and developing new skills makes navigating a world where an unnerving 44% of workers core skills are expected to change by 2028 that much more manageable.

3. Break free of the comfort zone

We know, the comfort zone is so wonderfully snuggly, isn’t it? But, make no mistake, there’s no adapting happening there.

Instead, you have to leave familiarity and routine behind, “…embrace the unknown, and move forward with curiosity…Trade comfort for courage.”

Courage means growth. And growth and adaptability are bosom buddies.

4. Think differently

Ever feel stuck in a rut? Edward de Bono blames “Rivers of Thinking” where, just like rivers, our thoughts flow in familiar patterns. Good for efficiency. Bad for adaptability.

The problem is, as Marty puts It, “There's no playbook for every challenge.” Instead, “You have to go off-book, be bold…The key is to be able to draw on everything you know, all your wisdom and creativity, to stay formless in that moment, and become whatever the situation requires.”

Be better not bitter

Adaptability creates more desirable employees and better leaders, but it’s about more than just that. It’s about being a happier person, too. Why worry about what’s in store if you know that whatever it is, you’ll knock it out the park?

So, as Bruce Lee would say, go out there and “Be water, my friend."