The Most Valuable Soft Skill
Adaptability is the greatest soft skill ever. In business, all paths point to being capable of change — going with the flow, rolling with the punches — especially in a startup. There is a good reason for this: Businesses that don’t change don’t grow.
Adaptability in Marketing
Salesman Silas Mahner explained in an interview how marketing changes monthly. Assets like current events, holidays, and trends change quickly. Marketing tactics mirror consumer habits by being in flux to take advantage of new tastes and technologies.
Adaptability in Operations
Operations functions wholly on the need for continuous improvement. Operations managers must be able to see the possibility for change and control its outcome in a way that can be delegated to multiple teams. They must deal with change, and help the rest of the organization deal with it too.
Adaptability in Customer Success
HubSpot suggests customer success candidates should be “adaptive and capable of changing their routine on the fly.” Customers can ask any question at any time. CS needs to be prepared to solve the problem at hand reassuringly. This means coping with change, often while the customer is on the phone waiting for an answer.
Adaptability in Sales
Sales representatives deal with change for the growth of the business. They think on their feet to make the sale and land new customers.
How do I acquire such a necessary soft skill?
Good news! You already have it. Clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan B. Peterson argues that the human instinct to learn and grow gave rise to the civilizations we enjoy today. Change means survival. We must rise to the occasion or die, metaphorically speaking. Then, adaptation leads to innovation. And the cycle repeats.
One simple way to fine-tune your adaptability is to go someplace you have never been. Notice how your body and mind react to new surroundings. Try to relax more into each experience. This will give you a good indication of your natural response to change.
Cultivating adaptability will no doubt serve you in business and life. It is likely to show up in everything you do, so now is the time to master it.
