From Uncertainty to Possibility: Helping Your Team Become Change Adaptable - A Two Part Workforce Strategies Series
Part I:
Written by: Donna Thaxter, Training Coaching and Personal Development Consultant
Change is the New Status Quo
Change is a constant reality for leaders and their teams today, and the pace of change will likely increase over time. Whether we’re adjusting to new technology, expanded regulatory requirements, or market shifts, change adaptability has evolved into a new core competency for employees at all levels.
What is AQ (Adaptability Quotient)?
According to the Harvard Business Review, AQ is a new competitive advantage. Change adaptability, which is a skill, can be defined simply as how well a person reacts to the inevitability of change. Granted, some people naturally handle change more easily than others, but learning and improving this skill is possible.
How Can You Help Your Team Build this Skill? Three Steps to Get Started
1. Actively engage your team in the process of change (rather than having the change happen to them). Once you inform them what is coming, tap into their curiosity. Have each person ask at least one question through Why, What, How, When, and Where questions. Anticipate the questions and prepare your answers in advance. For example: Why are we doing this?
2. Solicit and listen to their concerns. As the architects of change, managers must actively listen to their team's apprehensions and anxieties. This open exchange fosters transparency and helps craft a change management strategy that balances the realities of the change with the team's needs, ultimately ensuring smoother transitions.
3. Foster personal accountability. Have each team member identify two steps they will take to personally get ready for the change and one step for how they can contribute to the team’s readiness.
Be sure to check out Part II of this article to be published next Saturday, 10/28/2023.
Please contact our Director, Bill Dolan, to discuss how we can work with your team leaders to help build their team’s AQ and become more change-adaptable. You can reach Bill via email (WDolan@scapartnering.com) or phone (617-694-2617).
