The Enemies of Adaptability
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."
- Marie Curie
Adaptability implies ridding ourselves of mental structures. However, the enemies are much more:
Enemy 1: Fear
The FEAR acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real, holds very true as an enemy of Flexibility. We usually fear what we do not know. Hence, it's harder for us to seek change and flex our behaviors when we are scared. Adapting to the unknown means we are also ceasing our control, which is not easy to give up. Moreover, there is also the fear of failure, not doing things right, which might threaten our status at work, and how others perceive us.
Enemy 2: Lack of Skills
As adaptability and flexibility are among the most needed skills during the 21st century and especially during such times, organizations need to train people on such an important skill.
Enemy 3: Routine Slaves
We will continue to do something if it is beneficial to us. The pain of continuing to do things the same way must be greater than the agony of change, or we will lack the motivation to change (or sustain it).
Enemy 4: The "Fine" Status Quo
When we are doing well with our current ways, there is no reason for us to look at things from a new perspective or experiment with doing things differently. After all, things are going well. We are successful and making money. Why change then or even consider changing?
Enemy 5: Lack of Exposure or Diversity
Organizations that don't have much diversity among their employees also suffer from a lack of adaptability. After all, employees are not used to seeing different people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and religions. The idea of diversity is not ingrained within them, making it harder for them to accept anything different.
1Management Innovation Exchange, 28 May 2013, Chris Grams, The 12 Enemies of Adaptability, Accessed 12 Dec 2021, https://www.managementexchange.com/hackathon/contribution/12-enemies-organizational-adaptability
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