Developing a resilient, adaptable workforce for an uncertain future

Unexpected crises, volatility, and a generally accelerated pace of change have increasingly become the norm. But it doesn’t feel normal. For many, it feels stressful and exhausting.  To successfully move their business strategies forward in this environment, 21st-century leaders need an engaged and innovative workforce that can change course quickly, effectively, and fluidly. Employees must be open to developing new capabilities, adopting new norms, and reconsidering long-held mindsets and behaviors. Leaders must be willing to do the same.

Achieving such resilience and adaptability at individual and organizational levels is easier said than done, however. Human beings have a natural affinity for order, predictability, and control. They will do everything they can to avoid chaos, uncertainty, and volatility. Research shows that when the path forward is unclear, and time and performance pressures are the same (or increasing), teams and individuals often default to what they already know—regardless of whether that approach is appropriate for the given situation.

In some cases, leaders will even advocate that employees and teams “just keep going” in the face of uncertainty—not making an important distinction between times when resilience is needed, times when adaptability is needed, and the interdependence of both.

Leaders and organizations need to be both resilient and adaptable to realize growth, innovation, and organizational health. To be resilient and adaptable, leaders and employees need a mix of skills. Resilience requires—among other things—the ability to view change as a challenge or an opportunity to bounce forward, regulate thoughts and emotions, take lessons from prior experiences, and execute on change. Adaptability requires, among other things, the ability to approach uncertainty with an open, learning mindset and to think flexibly and creatively about problems as they arise. When leaders and employees have both sets of skills, they can better discern when a focus on resilience will be enough, when an adaptive response is required, and how to integrate the two into their strategies, operations, and decision-making.

The authors’ research and experience working with senior leaders in organizations across multiple industries and geographies point to four actions leaders can take to establish and support the presence of both resilience and adaptability in themselves and their workforces, thereby increasing the odds that they will successfully weather even the most extreme periods of volatility. Leaders should do the following:  Set a compass or North Star to help people move in a common direction.  Build a psychologically safe community, not just a workforce.  Ensure that they, themselves, are demonstrating resilience and adaptability and serving as role models for others.  And encourage employees to learn and build these skills in groups.