How to be more adaptable to change in business

Learn how to be more adaptable to change in business. Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays Australia & New Zealand, outlines why adaptability is important in business and seven key steps to get there.

How to be adaptable to change in business: Key insights

In recent years, the world of work has undergone significant changes. Teams that worked closely together in one physical location now operate remotely. As such, we are learning how to adapt to the changing needs of our customers.

Clearly, we have gone through a moment of unprecedented and rapid transformation. Teams had to pivot quickly. Today, major change can occur in the space of a few hours. Your team must be open, collaborative and ready to alter plans and modify processes at short notice.

In this blog, I will outline seven ways to be more adaptable to change in business. These include:

• Modelling adaptability
• Having a common objective
• Encouraging diversity of thought
• Embracing innovation
• Collaborating with peers
• Experimenting with ideas
• Encouraging staff to learn

Read on to learn about each of these in detail.

How to be adaptable to change in business: Background

Being adaptable isn’t a new requirement. It’s also not one that’s going to disappear any time soon. Today’s short-term uncertainty hasn’t altered the longer-term reality that our world of work is in constant flux thanks to disruptive technology, new emerging trends, restructures and industry shifts. 

We know that change is inevitable, which means that the benefits of creating an adaptive team will last well beyond the current time.

Here’s how to encourage adaptability in your team now, and in the future.

1. Model adaptability

It was Gandhi who said, “Be the change you want to see”. This famous quote has long been an inspiration for positive change. It’s certainly true that if you want your team to become more adaptable, you’ll first need to model this behaviour yourself.

• To do so, be receptive to new ideas and concepts. Try to: 
• Respond positively and pivot quickly when conditions change
• View challenges as opportunities to find new and unexpected solutions
• Keep your cool when faced with the unfamiliar
• Be curious and ask difficult questions
• Always have a ‘can do’ attitude, even if that means adjusting your own way of working or routine to better respond to new circumstances 
• Learn new skills and bounce back quickly when things go wrong.

In short, lead from the front by demonstrating to your team what adaptability in business looks like.

2. Have a clear common objective. 

At a time of rapid and tremendous change, it can be difficult to keep key priorities in mind. But to deliver the outcomes required, your team must first understand what they need to work towards.

So, prepare your team by clearly communicating your objectives and what you expect from them. Define what success looks like. Then ensure your team is aligned with these expectations and keeps them front and centre. All ideas, solutions and output should line up with these expectations.

By establishing a common objective and clearly defining expectations, your team will be able to adapt plans and solutions. They can then achieve the desired outcomes even when further change occurs in future.

3. Encourage diversity of thought 

Diverse teams bring different perspectives to the table. When change occurs rapidly, a team needs to avoid groupthink. Instead, your team – which should consist of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, personalities and thoughts – should be open to each other’s opinions and, crucially, really listen to them.

So, ask your team to avoid judgement and really pay attention when new solutions are proposed. Take a moment to understand and find value in each idea. Such diversity of thought will allow your team to collectively explore ideas that may otherwise not have been proposed or considered.

4. Embrace innovation

At times of significant change, there’s no point continuing to do the same things you’ve always done. This is the time for innovation, creativity and flexibility. So, help your team to understand the problems that need to be addressed and then empower them to work towards solutions. 

Make it clear that failure is part of this process – and it’s fine. What’s important is that the people in your team keep experimenting and coming up with new ideas to solve problems.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to innovation occurs when staff fear that others in their team will criticise their ideas. By encouraging diversity of thought, you’ll create an environment where people feel comfortable offering their suggestions without fear of reproach.

Another is a lengthy internal approval process. If several people all need or want to have their say by reviewing every solution proposed, people are less likely to suggest ideas. Those suggestions that are finally approved will not be implemented in a timely manner.

5. Collaborate 

Team members can help each other adapt and innovate by regularly and productively collaborating. Encouraging your team to come together to collaborate allows them to communicate with transparency, share new knowledge, ask questions and support each other. 

Likewise, collaboration often sparks insights and new ideas that one individual may not have been able to come up with in isolation. This helps a team become more responsive to change.

6. Experiment

In non-business critical areas, you can give your team the freedom to experiment and learn from their results. Look for small problems for which your team can try a new approach. Ask them to propose a solution, implement it, measure the results and then re-evaluate to see if further changes are necessary.

Take the fear out of this process by making it clear that any failure is a learning opportunity. This gives your staff the opportunity to propose and test ideas without worrying about blame if the result is less than anticipated. It allows them to learn valuable insights that will help inform future ideas.

7. Encourage upskilling

Employees who regularly push themselves outside their comfort zone by learning are more likely to cope well in uncertain situations. Their curiosity leads them to regularly respond to new trends by adapting their skills, thinking and processes.

Encouraging your team to regularly upskill helps them quickly adjust thanks to a growth mindset. At times of change, such people will seek out the tools required to help them adapt.

How to be more adaptable to change in business: Your next steps

Creating a team that can embrace and adapt to changing priorities quickly can make all the difference between success and failure. By putting these suggestions in place, you can create a team that’s capable of pivoting and adapting to change in business. 

These skills will help your organisation survive and thrive, no matter what comes your way in future.