Thriving Amidst Workplace Transformation: Cultivating Individual Adaptability

Cultivating Individual Adaptability

“The only constant is change.” We’ve all heard some version of this truism, yet our knee-jerk reaction trends are negative when sweeping shifts occur in our professional lives. Restructuring, new technology implementations, mergers, and acquisitions disruptors spur anxiety even as organizations promise they’ll lead to opportunity. 

So, how do we master the art of embracing change rather than resisting it? After a career of many changes, ups, downs, and sideways while leading teams through turbulent times and helping companies and people thrive, I’ve discovered that work flexibility stems first from mindset. Rather than reacting, truly adaptable people and teams take the driver’s seat in times of transition.

The key lies in cultivating two core muscles: 1) Mental agility to quickly perceive change as progress versus threat and 2) Proactive behaviours that allow you to harness change for impact rather than letting it dictate your experience. 

Let’s explore tangible strategies for flexing both of these adaptability muscles. With consistent training, you’ll notice more workplace changes unfolding seamlessly - maybe even excitingly. Suddenly, you’re not just surviving workplace transformation but leveraging it to accelerate your career.

Shifting Mindsets Around Change

Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck’s research, reveals that a Fixed Mindset holds us back from growth during transitions. This worldview perceives personal abilities and intelligence as finite—we are who we are. When disruption hits, the Fixed Mindset says, “I don’t have what it takes to adjust.”

A growth mindset flips this script. It views talents and skill sets as continually expandable through effort. Setbacks become feedback for improvement, not self-judgment. Barriers transform into challenges to step up to, not avoid. 

This mentality shift vastly improves adaptability. Let’s say new workplace technology gets implemented, and the initial learning curve frustrates you. Fixed Mindset thinks, “I’m bad with systems; I’ll never get this.” Growth Mindset says, “This is tough now, but with deliberate practice, I can steadily improve.” The latter empowers solution-focused action.

Another key? Embracing the temporary discomfort of change often catalyzes. When we expect to feel instantly competent during workplace transformations, frustration mounts, normalizing the beginnings of any growth process feeling awkward or taxing, trust that with successive efforts, activities from public speaking to collaborating virtually become second nature over time.

Proactivity: The Action Approach for Navigating Change 

Beyond mindset adjustment, adaptability depends on flexible behaviours. The reactive see workplace changes happening to them, while the proactive help direct those changes.

For example, say leadership announces a department restructure. The reactive wait anxiously to hear who works where now, clinging to former hierarchies. The adaptable get curious about emerging opportunities, ask thoughtful questions about improved customer service given shifts, and position themselves as change drivers regardless of where they ended up.

Here are three keyways to drive change proactively:

Continuous learning—Unsurprisingly, analysis finds that lifelong learners adapt easiest to workplace transformations. They voraciously build skills, making them antifragile rather than rigid specialists of one narrow function. Maintain an ongoing education log of training, books, podcasts, and webinars. Include peer-to-peer learning, too—what skills might colleagues in other divisions offer that serve you during tumultuous times?

Diverse connections—People pigeonholed in one department default to inflexible corporate groupthink. Combat this by actively building relationships throughout and even outside your organization—leaders driving innovative changes who can be mentors, clients, and vendors in aligned industries open to partnering creatively. Exposure to wider perspectives prevents change fatigue.

Volunteer initiative - Raise your hand to pilot new systems or spearhead a cross-functional process improvement team. Take calculated risks applying existing skills to unfamiliar projects. When you work in adjacent spaces, you organically build transferable skills and mental flexibility.

In other words, don’t wait for change to impose itself without your input. Widen your sphere of influence so that you help shape advantageous change.

Mastering the Art of Change Leadership  

Research shows organizational changes founder when employees feel excluded from the process—transparency and engagement matter. Once you strengthen personal adaptability, inspire that capability in colleagues. That’s the essence of change leadership.

Start by modelling healthy adaptation habits for peers unnerved by workout changes. Remain visibly unruffled by temporary setbacks, verbally reinforcing growth mindset with comments like, “This may take some adjustment, but I’m excited to see how it improves efficiency.” 

Then, provide stability for the transition path. During a merger, for example, set up weekly meetings covering what’s working well versus areas needing refinement. Coach teammates in solution-focused idea generation here, highlighting quick wins. And remain a sounding board for any frustrations so folks feel heard, dialling down their angst.

Finally, spotlight those embracing habits that ease transitions—cross-collaborations, upskilling pilots, and flexibility in reassigning job functions. Positive reinforcement shapes cultural norms, and you set the tone.

Continual Growth = Continual Employability  

When I coach leaders, they often define career success as linear ascending promotions. Yet, in times of volatility, adaptability provides the ultimate job security. Director roles won’t immunize you when the market shifts.

The executives who thrive across decades intentionally reinvent themselves—moving from sales to marketing leadership as industries converge and leading integration initiatives post-merger. Think of a guy in his 50s on your team who reskilled to manage the new AI system while others dragged their heels. He embraced role fluidity that keeps his career relevant.

So next time the weight of pending workplace changes leaves you unsteady, straighten your posture. Recognize that if not exactly comfortable, change presents opportunities to build self-relevant skills that ensure you not only survive but thrive. Leaning into this empowering mindset, you start to crave workplace disruptions rather than dread them. Each offers a chance to reinvent, stay nimble and propel your purpose. The threat of change gives way to the allure of possibility.