Here's how you can cultivate adaptability skills in the workplace.

Change is a natural part of life, but we tend to forget that. Change is not comfortable when we can not or do not acknowledge it. Remembering that 'change is the only constant' helps us mentally prepare to welcome change. When we are ready for change, we can accommodate adaption. I acknowledge the change and find the potential benefits I can utilize for the greater good. I see and ask how I managed change previously. We all have examples of embracing changes in our lives—big or small, easy or difficult, panned or sudden. Seeing the big picture helps us embrace change with ease. Embracing change is about our mindset. With a cultivated mindset, we can embrace a new way of working and living.

Embracing new, unknown, or sudden changes can be challenging, even daunting, but that's precisely why we must seek challenges. I remember the first time I stepped out of my comfort zone to go scuba diving - it was nerve-wracking but rewarding. Challenging ourselves is not just about learning new things but also about rearranging our thoughts and perspectives. When we seek out challenges, we discover our adaptability. Whether volunteering for a project, training a coworker, learning a language, co-working with Gen AI, base jumping, skydiving, taking a cold shower, or walking barefoot, each new experience proves our resilience and strength. Life is too short to try every challenge, but try most!

Never abandon learning. To stay relevant in any field you need to continuously keep yourselves updated of the new developments in the field. Your contributions need to be relevant and meaningful for the present times , thus to ensure that what you apply is of value in the present times you need to have the most recent know how on the subject. Keep a regular schedule for learning. The key is also to unlearn older ways so that they don’t hamper new ideas and new learnings to take root. Be open to new ideas , have an open perspective. Don’t be narrow minded when it comes to new ideas and perspectives. If you stop learning , you also stop growing and progressing.

Creating and maintaining a continuous learning mindset is a superpower for mastering adaptability. Taking courses, attending workshops, reading books and articles, etc., are common ways we learn. Constant learning helps us modify our knowledge, skills, and abilities to embrace change or challenge ourselves. It is about learning, unlearning, and relearning. It is more about cultivating a challenging adaptive mindset to navigate new situations. Learning has become accessible, bite-size, continuous, and applicable to real-life situations. We can learn online, offline, using a computer or cellphone, via an app, at work, at the gym, walking alone or with friends, with fun, and as a game.