Adaptability in the Workplace: Choosing Growth in the Face of Change

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that things can change rapidly and very unexpectedly. These changes occur all around us and in many aspects- both personally and professionally. Adaptation to these new circumstantial changes is driven largely by our mindset. In choosing our mindset, we determine our lens that sets the tone of our outlook on how we respond to these changes, presenting two questions:

1. Do we tackle these changes as an opportunity to learn and grow, or do we let them tackle us? 
2. Do we respond reactively or proactively?

During unpredictable changes and circumstances, choosing a mindset of positivity and flexibility is essential. When searching for new candidates, one highly attractive trait that recruiters notice is one’s adaptability.

When faced with adversity due to change, here are three steps that can help employees, and leaders alike, embrace changes and scaling, rather than let it stump an individual: 

1. Choose a growth mindset: While cliché, attitude is really everything – it decides how others experience us and how we experience others. First and foremost, though, mindset is a choice. Despite difficulties, adversity enables us to take change and grow and learn from it, which presents extremely valuable lessons. To move forward in a company when faced with organizational changes, it’s helpful to think of the changes as an opportunity to grow professionally. When one person chooses a growth mindset, it becomes contagious to other individuals in an organization, fueling positivity and productivity. 
2. Frequently practice gratitude: When individuals are faced with a challenge, it is easy to fixate on that issue, whether minor or major. However, it is important to not overlook past successes and what is actually working. Don’t allow your mindset to become overclouded by one minor setback. Instead, practice gratitude. At FGP, we encourage employees to practice a “daily gratitude sprint” of 30 seconds to list the things individuals are professionally and personally grateful for. By committing to this routine practice, a habit forms that generates an environment of thankfulness. 
3. Be resilient: In all workplaces, there are many causes of stress: deadlines, employee competition, organizational and structural change, etc. One’s ability to respond to these various forms of stress, or ability to “bounce back,” is all grounded in resiliency. Like one’s mindset, resiliency is a skill that directly coincides with growth: those who are resilient are more capable of growing within an organization and set a positive example for others in the workplace.

Adaptability is a highly sought after and attractive trait. The cornerstone of adaptability is that “change is inevitable, but growth is optional.” At FGP, our brand pillars center around “growth and gratitude.” Through this theme, our team is reminded to use times of change as an opportunity to learn, grow, and exhibit adaptability. When you lean in to change, your opportunities for growth – both personally and professionally – are endless. Take advantage of it.