Adaptability is the new norm for professionals
Posted on July 2020Post Covid 2019 there were several terms that surfaced in the day to day communication. Social distancing, sanitization tunnel, N95 masks, Pandemic, WFM, WFO, Freelancing, Teams, Zooming, Covid test, Negative result is positive news, Institutional and self-quarantine, last but not the least ‘new norm’. All these terms have had a deep impact on individuals, organizations, society and the country at large. While alarm bells of a second wave are being raised, there is also a sense of resilience that we see in the population, with what we call adaptability.
Adaptability is the ability to quickly respond to disruption, changing trends, instability, change and innovation. Charles Darwin’s famous statement that comes alive here, “it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is most adaptable to change”. Centrality to the changes that we have seen here are work-place related. Professionals have seen a massive change in the way they work, communicate, commute, socialize. Even sales meetings, conferences and events, business travel, hotel stays, business attire, HSE protocols. holidays and working hours have been redefined. A few business sectors have melted down while others thrived.
Job Description is now more of a framework agreement than one that is detailed to the last work scope that is expected. Several professionals had to upskill and even change their careers to align and survive in the new industry requirements, which includes multitasking. For most of those that have been on the job for several decades the changes expected are steep, from what one is used to work. Holding on to that bygone style, culture or traditions will be detrimental to their survival. Technology being one of the main disruptors has already transformed the business process through the adaption of AI and RPA. As Benjamin Franklin once said ‘change is the only constant in life. One’s ability to adapt to those changes will determine your success in life’.