2020 threw us an unimagined but very real set of circumstances that have brought to the fore the importance of career adaptability.
We’ve seen resilience become the most commonly used word, but we’ve preferred to focus on its lesser applied relative, adaptability, which is fundamental to resilience, but harder to understand and definitely more difficult to amplify without clarity. Even when leaders understand the adaptability of their people, how do they help nudge these skills into new arenas? We’ve found this is a central question for leaders who are intent on becoming more resilient, able to drive effective business outcomes, and to maintain productivity and engagement during times of ambiguity.
In The Resilient Career©, our program focussing on skill adaptability, we’ve talked with many leaders who are looking ahead to a different and constantly changing normal and have a focus on finding constructive methods for their people to reengage with their organisations, to re-anchor their capabilities with greater self-knowledge and to ensure that peoples’ skills are aligned to (often new) business objectives. These conversations have led us to ask leaders the extent to which they know with certainty the skills that their people have, and whether they are being utilised with best effect. Whilst some leaders can answer this question with certainty, others have welcomed our guidance in mapping a course to the 2021 (and beyond) “normal”.
If 2020 was characterised by survival, and by supporting people to remain focussed through wellbeing programs to continue to be productive, this year will be about capitalising on resilience through adaptability and equipping people with a sharper lens of clarity as the landscape keeps changing. In turn, these enhanced individual outcomes gained through greater adaptability, will support commercial objectives and outcomes.
Does this resonate? We’d love to hear from you to discuss the path to your organisation’s career resilience. Curious to understand your skill adaptability? Contact Lisa at lisa@thriveleadershipgroup.com
Annie Weber and Lisa Williams
The Resilient Career©