Adaptability
Adaptability is defined as "the ability to adjust to new conditions."
The ability to adjust to new conditions is necessary for survival.
As employers continue to shift from singular job roles to job rotation and flexible job descriptions, adaptability will also continue to rise as a much sought-after soft skill. For good reason, flexibility/adaptability is identified as one of the most desirable candidate traits employers seek, as it is the quality of being able to adjust and respond to new conditions.
Generally, those with a high Adaptability Quotient (AQ) also possess one of the principle underpinnings of a growth mindset, which is the ability to view challenges as opportunities; this enhances their employability factor through continual learning and improvement.
"91% of HR director s believe people will be increasingly recruited on their ability to deal with change and uncertainty. By being adaptable, you can not only survive but thrive as you enhance your ability to respond intelligently and mindfully to the inevitable changes of life and work. There will be many aspects of a job that you may have to adapt to during your career and these may include new roles or responsibilities, changing customer needs, workplace demands, market changes or technological trends."
Mindfulness, Mindset, Moxie and Mojo: Job-Seekers Guide to Success - Michael R. Frazier, 2018 (Amazon)
Adaptability will also allow you to boost your talent value, as every workplace needs those who can keep calm and persist when faced with difficulties, mindfully accept new challenges, deal with changing priorities/workloads, keep an open mind, be less judgmental of others and willingly accept new perspectives.
To turn inflexibility into adaptability, first start with working to become non-judgmental or more open-minded. Focus on listening to others more, try new approaches, fight the urge to react negatively when you hear differing opinions, and if something isn’t working out the way you expect it to, pause and be open to the new experience, rather than judging it immediately with your own personal bias. Lose the inflexibility, or the rigidity of “It’s my way or the highway” or “this is the way I’ve always done it!”