Business experts often discuss the need to be agile in the modern world. They tell us we must be nimble and responsive to changes in the market, society, politics, climate…and everything in between. Turn on the news or hop on X (Twitter) for just five minutes, and it’s clear why Adaptability Intelligence matters for both individuals and organizations.
But what we don’t often hear about is how…
- How can you seize opportunities instead of letting the fear of risk leave you clinging to the status quo?
- How exactly does an organization become adaptable to thrive in the face of change?
- How do you encourage your team to embrace change instead of resisting it?
We’re here to help you answer those questions, and the timing couldn’t be better. By all accounts, 2025 will be unpredictable on so many fronts. Between a new presidential administration, the explosion of Generative AI, volatility in the geopolitical climate, and an uncertain economy, change will come fast and furiously. That means now is the time to prepare–so you will be ready to think differently, act decisively, and be proactive when the unpredictable happens. The alternative is to stay complacent and risk getting left behind.
Being ready to act may mean making some small but crucial decisions, or it may mean having to radically reinvent your business model. Either way, you’ll need your team to have the Adaptability to absorb the shock, roll with the changes, and get on board and be productive at top speed. To do that, you need to take the right steps now to build up their individual Adaptability Intelligence along with your organization’s.
Here are 12 Actionable Tips and Best Practices to Becoming More Adaptable in 2025
Take a Baseline
To get better at anything, you have to know where you stand right now. In Adaptability, it starts with taking an inventory—the AQme Adaptability Assessment. This individual scorecard rolls up into the AQTeam organizational report, and combined, these can show you the areas where there is work to be done and give you the vocabulary to address awareness, resistance, and improvement. Having objective insights—hard data and clear terminology—can help people get on board with changes more easily. It shows you’re coming from a place of empirical evidence, not just arbitrary decisions. It builds trust with your team and demonstrates you value their knowledge when you ask for their point of view on the organization’s environment.
Communicate Now!
Don’t wait–communication is critical. The mere hint of change can send some people into panic mode. Build rapport and trust before the rumor mill and speculation grow out of control. Start by communicating the value individuals bring to their roles and how important their expertise and insights are. Be as transparent as possible about what is driving change and any perceived repercussions or risks for standing still. Be clear about expectations, but also ask about what they are seeing. Listen to what they think and need to adapt to the change you’re asking them to make.
Invest in Team Wellbeing
We’re all feeling overwhelmed from work stress, our personal lives and the world in general. A change event will only compound that anxiety. That’s why it’s essential to invest in their wellbeing now and going forward. Meet them where they are—maybe that’s taking extra time between implementing new processes to allow them to get their bearings. Or maybe it means offering some extra time off, group meditation or mindfulness sessions, going for a walk-and-talk meeting for physical activity or an offsite outing that’s just for fun. Again, listening is vital–ask for what they need from you so they can perform at their best.
Adopt a Flexible Mindset
Whether it’s new processes or a return-to-office mandate, flexibility will always win over rigidity. Leaders must be willing to look at the organization with fresh eyes, not old habits. This means objectivity, open-mindedness and the willingness to seek advice from the people who do the work. COVID taught us that we’re capable of more flexibility than we ever thought possible because it forced us to adapt. Maintaining that mindset is critical. Don’t always play to protect; play to win, too.
Express Gratitude at Every Opportunity
Walk the floor and discuss specifically how your team’s work contributes to the organization’s success. One way to better understand each team member’s “love language” is through the DISC and Motivators assessments, which helps to identify what drives them to do their best work. Once you’ve created that self-awareness, the AQme report helps to refine that understanding in the context of projects and work environment. Use the results to identify and optimize what individuals need to fuel their passion and find their purpose in their work environment.
Build Connection
In most organizations, connection is the missing ingredient that’s driving return-to-office mandates: leaders recognize their team feels distant and disconnected. But merely sitting next to someone doesn’t create connection by default—you still have to work at it.
For many organizations, it’s hard to justify investing in the “warm and fuzzy” aspects of teamwork because the ROI takes more time to measure. But feeling connected to their teammates and the organization will help your team feel happier, fulfilled, engaged and more willing to adapt. This pays dividends in productivity, flexibility, and Adaptability–not to mention they’ll be more likely to stick around in turbulent times when you’ll need them most.
Prioritize Personal Growth
A lot of organizations provide professional development, but in most cases, it’s limited to technical skills. That means the investment is really for their benefit, not the individual’s. Instead, invest in providing soft skills development—transferable skills that benefit the individual. These broader self-improvement opportunities support individual agility and willingness to adapt for the organization.
Brainstorm Failures
It sounds counter-intuitive, but brainstorming scenarios that would “break” the company can teach you how to succeed. Not only does forecasting failure help you spot the early symptoms that things are going off the rails, but it creates an environment that encourages people to speak up if they see things headed south, rather than keeping quiet.
Customize Career Pathing
Growing evidence suggests that not everyone is interested in being promoted to management—some are perfectly happy remaining as individual contributors. Instead of a rigid progression system, create one that allows for unique career paths and supports individual work styles and goals. Assessments like the AQme, DISC and Motivators can give you the insights needed to fast-track this for each individual. Engage each person in the process—ask what they want, what growth looks like for them, and chart a course to get them there.
Insist on Transparency
Giving people the freedom and safety to speak up is essential in so many ways—from preventing safety and quality issues to drawing out the most innovative ideas. Adopt a “see something, say something” policy where your team is invited to provide honest feedback and offer suggestions. It’s one of the best ways to support agility, both for the individual and the company.
Implement Coaching And Mentorship
If you’re going to assess Adaptability Intelligence, be prepared to do something about it. Otherwise, it’s just wasted time and energy. This is an excellent opportunity to crowdsource talent within your own organization: highlight individuals for their unique attributes and pair those who are optimal in one area with those who could use some help. This shows you’re willing to invest in continuous improvement and fosters vital connections and collaboration among individual members of your team.
Cut Bait if You Need to
There may be an individual for whom you’ve done all you can to bring them on board, yet they refuse to budge. Maybe they’re just too burnt out, but they balk at connection and collaboration. Whatever the reason, once it’s clear they’re dead weight, it’s time to act decisively and let them go. As much as you may need warm bodies to do the work, this kind of contrarian attitude is a virus that will infect the entire organization. The drain this inflicts on the environment comes at too high a cost—it can poison the success of everyone around them and the organization as a whole.
As with any improvement process, the best place to start with building Adaptability is by establishing a benchmark. The AQme assessment and organizational report provides empirical evidence to show where you are now, so that you can chart a course for improving Adaptability Intelligence and measure your success along the way.
Just like you would maintain vital business equipment to maximize its performance and longevity, you must invest in the most essential of assets—your people. Giving them the resources, environment and tools they need to be more agile and embrace changes as opportunities will pay rich dividends as the pace of change accelerates.
Contact us today to get started with an Adaptability assessment.