Organizations want to recruit team members who can take on new responsibilities and acquire new skills as needed in a world of instability. Adaptability is not only an advantage you must learn to discover so you can recruit and retain the right people, but it is also an advantage you must develop in yourself so that you can remain an indispensable and employable person.
During a typical year, Fratto meets with hundreds of startup founders and has to decide, in a short conversation, whether she wants to invest in them and their companies. The ability to adapt, according to Fratto, is a characteristic that distinguishes many of those who go on to succeed.
Adaptability isn't just useful in the tech world; it is also beneficial for everyone, and Fratto points out that “each of us, as individuals, groups, institutions, and even governments, is forced to confront more changes than at any time in human history.” And there is good news ahead: “The ability to adapt is not fixed,” Fratto adds, pointing out that each person can measure, test, and improve their ability to adapt to new circumstances.
Tips on how to evaluate adaptability and how to enhance it in yourself
Here are some of her tips on how to evaluate adaptability and how to enhance it in yourself:
1. Ask "what if" questions when interviewing people
Fratto says, "Asking this kind of question forces a person to imagine many things that are likely to happen in the future and make decisions accordingly."
Some examples of such questions might be “What if your main source of income is lost overnight?” or “What if a heat wave prevents customers from visiting your store?” Fratto wonders whether the candidate can adapt based on the number of scenarios he can visualize and how powerful his vision is.
"People often ask a lot of questions in the interview, but it's better to ask four key questions and then delve into the details and then ask additional questions."
An example of a leading question that could be asked is “Describe a difficult change you have recently experienced at work.” A more natural supplementary question might be: “What would have happened if a different change had occurred instead?” This forces the interviewee to think about the past and future in another way.
"Tell me about a time when you were wrong" is another question in the interview, which could result in new insights and ideas.
You can follow up on this key question by asking, "What is the strongest argument made by those who disagreed with you?" Fratto says, "You can often tell if people are willing to change their minds—and are therefore more adaptable—by asking them to share when they thought they were wrong, not when others realized they were wrong."
2. Look for signs of 'not learning' instead of learning
According to Fratto, "non-learning" is another important sign of adaptability. She states, "Active, uneducated people seek to challenge what they assume they know beforehand. Thus, they replace their misinformation with new information."
A physical example of unlearning can be found on the ski slopes. Beginner downhill skiers are taught the "pizza" method. When you're on top of a hill, you point your skis toward each other, like the tip of a slice of pizza, and no one slides down. But the more comfortable you get, the less you can be a great skater with the pizza method. So you should get rid of it and only use it for a short time until you feel comfortable enough to take the risk.
While it is difficult to give up certain skills that have been instilled in our brains, it is possible to do so, and we can also adopt change. "Anyone can also stop learning something by taking a new perspective or adopting another perspective". The ability to learn additional things can demonstrate a person's adaptability, and Fratto adds: "Trying to learn what you are not an expert on can build a new set of skills that are a key element in building these skills."
This mentality is especially helpful for people looking for a new job, and if you are seeking to change your field of work, you can adopt the process of canceling learning or following adjacent learning to find a new job in a different field. You can see where you might apply your skills in a different environment by looking at the individual skills and requirements of your job rather than thinking about the title or position. then ask yourself, “What field of work is not making use of this skill as it should?” You can apply by bringing your individual expertise with you.
3. Find signs of exploration
A mindset that seeks to explore can yield obvious benefits. For example, Fratto says that after moving to a new neighborhood, she needed to find a grocery store, so she came out of her apartment, turned to the left by accident, found a store a few blocks away and started frequenting it to buy what she needed. A few months later, she turned to the right and found another grocery store closer than that store with a better food products section. And because she didn't try to explore, she stuck to the old store itself, and she missed something better.
How often do you do it in your own life?
Fratto says, "Choosing the path you will take becomes more enjoyable when you have several options. So it is better to explore and find ways to get rid of the habits that you already had, whether that's trying to watch a movie in a different language, cooking a different dish, or going down a different path than what you used to follow." These seemingly simple changes allow important changes to be made and create the ability to change old habits.
4. Improve a person's adaptability
“I think we all have a strong inherent ability to react to change differently,” says Fratto. “However, the ability to adapt should be proactive rather than reactive. So we have to look for it, practice it and train it like we train our own muscles.” Fratto says.
How Can We Become More Adaptive?
1. Learn what you are not an expert in
Let's say you are an expert in marketing, for example, but if you can also increase your knowledge of podcasts, you can become the broker for these teams. So look for opportunities to fill the existing gaps in your organization.
2. Performing the role of a person who disagrees with others at work
In some situations, you may move away from high-risk situations and adopt a respectful attitude toward the offender. This will allow you, your boss, and your teammates to see things from the other side, and this strategy can also help you not to cling too tightly to your personal thoughts and perspectives.
Fratto says that in the tech world, there is a much-repeated slogan: "I love leaders who have strong opinions, who don't stick to them." An important component of adaptability is the ability to form a strong opinion and to abandon it if new information proves incorrect.
3. Keep a resume or journal of your failures
"It's helpful to write down times when you were wrong, changed your mind, or made mistakes," says Frato. While many of us view these things from a place of shame or embarrassment, you can view them in a positive light—as steps you've taken in your career—and learn from them instead.
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