The saying goes that it is better to bend than to break. Life means dealing with the unexpected, and, whether the surprises are big or small, your chances of success are greater if you’re able to manage them.
We no longer live in a world where it pays to be set in our ways. Technology changes fast, and with it methods of working. The global economy creates ripples in every corner of the earth. Cultures meet and influence each other more than ever before, and the internet means that many of us are seeing and reacting to what other people do and say. Some of us are more comfortable with change than others, but the ability to respond in constructive ways contributes to our growth and success. To feel at ease with this, we need to be confident that we can adapt when changes come along.
Spotting opportunities
The positive way to view change is to see it as an opportunity—you’re now facing a challenge to find a new solution. Being open and responsive to new circumstances are attributes well worth cultivating. Researchers at Bradford University in the UK identify a variety of skills relating to flexibility:
1 Intellectual flexibility. Keeping an open mind, so that new information is absorbed and made good use of. Being able to balance both the details and the broad overview.
2 Being receptive. When change happens, accepting it rather than resisting, and being prepared to learn new ways of meeting goals.
3 Creativity. A willingness to try things, improvise, and risk making mistakes in order to achieve your goals.
4 Adjusting. Changing methods and working styles when the situation calls for it.
5 Making it work. If a solution doesn’t work, not dwelling on it; searching for another way that will.
6 Coming up with new ideas. Devising new ways to make changes more effective.
The researchers describe these as traits that make their graduates particularly attractive to employers, but whatever your work situation, they’re useful skills to practice. They can also be valuable when you’re trying to prove your worth to a potential new employer or collaborator; the university recommends the STAR technique (see “Showcasing your skills,”) to help show yourself to best advantage.
Seeing the other side
When we work alongside other people, flexibility is essential. A good method for staying flexible in the workplace is to be aware of a common psychological mistake: fundamental attribution error. Put simply, when we make a mistake we believe it is because something happened that was beyond our control, but when someone else makes a mistake we think it is caused by some character flaw or personality “defect” within that person. For example: “I didn’t hand in my report because the research took longer than the schedule allowed”; “He didn’t hand in his report because he’s disorganized and irresponsible.” To stay flexible, be aware that we’re all prone to this kind of reasoning, and try to put yourself in other people’s shoes when you can. It makes you a better collaborator, and it also makes other people’s mistakes less stressful for you.
Four ways to flex
A 2015 study at the University of Miami found that cognitive flexibility—the ability to shift your thoughts and adapt to your environment—calls on four traits:
Attention. The ability to detect what’s relevant and what’s not.
Working memory. Keeping the facts in your mind.
Inhibition. Being able to control your immediate reactions.
Switching. Being able to shift your focus from one task to another.
adapt your coping methods
We’re sometimes encouraged to follow a one-size-fits-all solution for coping with difficulties, but it pays to be flexible here too. A 2011 study at Stanford University put volunteers through a variety of experiences of differing degrees of intensity. Given the choice between distraction or “reappraisal” (that is, thinking it through and possibly reinterpreting things) as ways of coping with these stresses, they overwhelmingly preferred distraction for more intense moments and reappraisal for milder ones. We have a natural tendency to switch strategies, because when it comes to coping, there is no one “right” way. Be prepared to follow your instincts.
Showcasing Your Skills
Being able to show that you are flexible and adaptable makes you highly attractive to potential employers. Bradford University in the UK recommends the STAR technique, as below. Their advice is to present any setbacks you have faced as part of a story you can tell with confidence:
