Adaptability is just a process.

It’s been mentioned on numerous occasions including on platforms like LinkedIn that adaptability is the key skill that we should be developing. We’re now living in a time with information is coming our way at greater speed, hyper disruptions in global economics, wars, politics and of course the growth of AI. Jobs are changing, communication skills and expectations between generations are different, and personally we are looking for more and varying experiential  stimulation. All of this requires adapting, transforming, change or reinventing.

At times it feels overwhelming, as things are moving so quickly, there is so much information and so much choice that the need to adapt leaves me asking ,

“Why do I have to adapt?”

“Adapt to what?”

“How do I adapt?”

“By when do I have to adapt.”

 

To begin with there is a misconception about change.

We DON”T fear change.

Throughout our lives we’ve embraced change.

We crawled and then walked.

We adapted to new schools, friends, fashion, haircuts.

We learned to study differently – longer hours and more information.

We adapted to new relationships, ideas, values, jobs, neighbourhoods, cities, and for some, even countries.

Change is a  part of us.

It is not adapting the scares us. It’s just that in the past the need to adapt was less frequent, and it could talk longer.

We are comfortable with routine and find comfort in our comfort zones – it takes work to adapt. As we grow older, we become more risk averse, prefer our safety nets and the fear of being  wrong increases our levels of anxiousness and fear of change.

As times change, we do need to adapt as it helps us to move forward and grow both personally and professionally, and this includes the way we look at adapting as it doesn’t have to be this dramatic, or a fear-inducing-experience.

 

There are two influencers that I look at when it comes to the need of adapting. On is extrinsic and the other intrinsic.

1. Can I adapt the situation? Extrinsic.

If I have someone working for me in a specific department, and their strengths are not in line with the job requirements and they’re not producing the desired results. This is a situation I can adapt. I can replace that person and/or move them to another department.

2. Do I need to adapt to the situation? Intrinsic

This is the situation that affects us directly and the one that potentially increases our anxiousness as it involves us needing to adapt.

So how do we deal with it.

 

Let’s begin with “Why do I have to adapt?”

Why I have to adapt, and this could be related to a product line, or a marketing campaign, or systems change, or personally is because if nothing changes then everything stays the same and the world – our experiences, our customers, our relationships, move on…at times without us. Life is fluid and moves at an ever-increasing speed of advancement. If we don’t adapt, then there is the possibility that the world and everyone important to us, will leave us behind.

At times, the need to adapt could be a conscious decision for the want to change, or as we’ve recently experienced with Covid, we have to change to survive.

I work quite a bit in the film and photographic production industry facilitating international shoots that happen during the summer months in Cape Town. As I look back over the 20+ years I’ve been involved there have been  notable changes. At times, the need to adapt was more gradual with lots of warning, and other times it was an adapt now, or die scenario.

1. In the early 2000’s photographers were shooting on film during the day. After the days shoot, they’d then send their film to the labs who would process just a part of it so that it could be later checked by the photographer before giving the final go ahead to how all the roles of film should be processed. This whole process, which would take anything between 24-36 hours, included various trips to the labs and phone calls ensuring everything was processed correctly. During this time TV Commercials and photographic shoots were produced separately.
2. With the advent of digital photography – which was a gradual change, the labs fell away, businesses closed down, people lost jobs. However, it also created jobs because now we needed digital operators on set who could process the digital images from the photographer’s camera, straight onto the laptop. Those images were put onto a hard drive and taken with the photographer back to the clients in their offices – overseas. Photographers had to learn digital skills to be able to photograph. People who lost their jobs had to find new places of employment or start their own businesses. This change was gradual with lots of warning.
3. Digital photography sped up the process and increased the number of shots in a day. More clients and art directors would fly out from overseas and started to come on set so that the decision-making process could be quicker, and they could get the images straight onto their laptops.
4. Load shedding announced itself throwing us into the dark. A situation we couldn’t change. However, generators were introduced on set, which had to be loaded in the vans. Lighting companies introduced battery packs for their lighting gear.
5. As budget constraints took hold after 2008, the clients couldn’t be on set, so the digital operator would be uploading the images straight to a server so the clients could make an “in time,” decision straight away confirming or rejecting the shot from their office.
6. Covid arrived a lightning quick, dramatic, curveball. Production companies pivoted so that they could survive. Initially no one was traveling anymore so “remote shoots,” took place. Only the bare minimum of crew was on set, wearing masks. The shoots were being live streamed to the client’s office where they could experience the shoot and give feedback, in real time. This change was a, “do or die,” scenario for survival.
7. As budgets got tighter TV commercials and photo shoots started piggy backing off each other. In the past production companies specialised in either or, but now they were offering to facilitate both types of shoots on one set – because it increased their offering and made financial and logistical sense for the clients.

It involved more crew in the office and on set, but less production days, less costs but more logistical planning.

This timeline of 20 year in the production industry highlighted the question, “why do I have to adapt,” as it’s never set in stone.

At times it was because of technological advancement, other times it was purely for survival,  and other times it was to increase the benefits to the clients.

 

How to adapt

Now that we’ve discussed the “why,” do I have to adapt, and “by when,” let’s talk about the how part of it.

 

1. Have conversations around it.

Conversation is a good therapy; it allows us to express rather than bottle things up. Chatting with team members, loved ones, even clients I never a bad thing if it’s done correctly. Having conversation with  team members about ideas for organisational change, not only makes them feel included but it also affords the opportunity  to hear completely different viewpoints. Develop an environment for ideas sharing.

If done correctly, asking clients what their needs are and what they expect is also a good source of information.

 

2. It’s not a project it’s a process.

The need to adapt should be seen as a specific project with  success or failure mindset. It should be considered a PROCESS, small steps with consistent action. It won’t be seamless and there will be periods of trial and error. The later we leave the need to change, the more urgent it becomes, the need for it to be right increases, which in turn has an effect on our stress levels. Creativity flourishes when we feel physically safe and psychologically safe. The later we leave the need to adapt does affect our feeling of safety. Remembering that it is a process reduces the stress levels and contributes to our wellbeing.

 

3. Have a growth mindset.

Change should be seen as an opportunity as opposed to challenge. As tough as the journey might be, there will be lesson learned along the way.

 

4. Invest in training and development.

One can never have too many skills. Continuous learning is vital for both leaders and their teams. Invest in training programs that enhance adaptability skills, such as creative problem-solving, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and executive functioning skills.

 

5. Limit your options.

Have you ever had a brainstorming session and you’ve produced numerous options and failed to act on any of them? Not uncommon. The reason is the more options we have decreases the chance of success  and increases the fear to begin. i.e. If we only have 2 choices the chance of success is 50%. If we have 3 choices, we only have 33.3% chance of success, if we have 4 choices, we now have only 25% chance of success. Mentally, more choice is not a good thing.

6. Stay true to yourself.

When there are a lot of options on offer, and you feel overwhelmed try not to venture too far from your core values, beliefs, and offerings. This helps the decision process, the action plan and your authenticity.

 Conclusion

Adaptability is the hallmark of effective, personal leadership in the modern world.

We don’t fear change, we just don’t like big, fast, dramatic change.

It is a process that we should incorporate into our lives as if nothing changes it leads to boredom, stagnation, and being left behind.

 

If you’d like to discuss anything further about adaptability – whether for personal or professional growth, please contact me via email gary@garyhirson.com