The more I learn about adaptability, the more I realize I need to generate several options. The options help me select a new response to the altered situation. And, every so often, I find that too many options confuse me. I want to find the One Real Possibility that will solve the problem. Instead, I …
I meet a number of people who have great ideas. And, in order to “push” the ideas through the organization, they tell me that the ends justify the means. I don’t buy that. That’s not congruent behavior. These people are thinking about themselves. They’re thinking about the context. However, the way they treat the other …
Too often, I hear the word “just” when modifying a feeling. “Can’t you just shake it off?” Or, “Can’t you just move on?” Or, “Can you just go along with what I want?” Every single one of those “justs” are about ignoring what the other person feels. If you’re on the receiving end of these …
One of my clients had been quite successful in a particular role. She’d decided it was time to look for a new job doing the same thing. She wanted my opinion about several organizations. Instead of offering her an opinion on the organizations, I asked this question, “Do you want to do the same thing …
Many people use the terms adaptable and resilience interchangeably. However, they mean different things and we live and use them differently. When we are adaptable, we see that reality has changed. We don’t deny that reality. Because we admit that we have a new reality, we can find new approaches to manage our responses to …
What’s the Difference Between Resilience and Adaptability? Read More »
We encounter a problem somewhere, at work, at home. We often reflect, to discover the root cause(s). That might be useful, especially if we discover a common cause, something within our system of work (or home) that creates problems. However, if we have a special cause—especially a random event—we don’t need to reflect. We can …
You encounter a setback or a loss. Someone, a well-meaning someone, tells you to “just get over it.” How can you? The quick answer is you don’t. (Well, I don’t.) What we do instead is move through the change model. Let me unpack that well-meaning, albeit wrong, sentence. “Just” is not a useful word to describe any …
I was thinking about saying goodbye last week. I’ve been in groups where people slip away. Yes, they leave without saying goodbye. That’s not my style. In my family, we stand around and hug and kiss everyone for a while. It takes a few minutes to say goodbye. In Mark’s family, after we hug and …
I often think about the worst thing that could happen, as a way to manage risk. That’s one alternative. Sometimes, when I’m stuck on a problem, I think about the worst thing I could do. Not as a risk management approach, but as a way to create more options for solving my problem. Here’s a …
If you’re like me, things don’t always proceed as I planned. Sometimes, my plans turn out better. Sometimes, worse. If I want to make them better in the moment, I need to be more adaptable. That means I need to practice my adaptability. Here’s an example. I have many immutable truths in my life. (You …