Adaptability- why going with the growth helps us in business

Howdy friends. So the topic of so many of my chats this week turned out to be adaptability, in both business and life. One friend and I were talking about Darwins observation of survival of the fittest, which contrary to popular misconception, isn't about strength, so much as the ability of an individual to adapt to its changing environment effectively. 

Personal adaptability

The same can be said for our mental health. I would argue that adaptability of our perspective is a key skill to have to help one live a life they love. 

For example, I was tempted to do a doco style video from bed this morning explaining that, at one point in my life, I might be waking up single and happiness lies in the ability to wake up and roll all around the bed gleefully being grateful for the ability to spread out and be a star fish. And at another point in my life, I may be waking up with somebody next to me and be super grateful to roll over for a cuddle and a spot of good morning love making. The single bit might still have some love making. But do you see my point? Our ability to embrace the opportunity and gifts available in any given moment is a matter of perspective, and our happiness is dependent on our ability to adapt our perspective as the moment required. But i've digressed from business. Thought, lets face it, the two go hand in hand because the better you feel about you and life, the better you feel about your work.


I also had several conversations this week about how adaptability is key in business, but to many of us it comes by a slightly different name eg ability to trust in and go with the flow, embracing the feminine, in balance with the masculine structural, procedural side of business. 


In business adaptability can look a bit like:


-Allowing oneself to trust in ones intuition and follow the flow.

-Being willing to let go of our fixed picture of how we thought it should be or was going to be to make way for what we're truly here to be or is trying to unfold now 

-Being willing to let go of our attachment to the safety of the known, to the existing policies and procedures to develop novel and revolutionary new ways of meeting new needs that have arisen and rising to the occasion of new circumstance.  

The downside of lack of adaptability in business

And this year more than ever, we are being tested on going with the flow more than ever and our ability to thrive is this new climate is now so dependent on it.

I saw this illustrated so well this week trying to update my details with several companies and government agencies covering everything from licences to passports to tax to mobile phones. I had several conversations with staff members who were either annoyed by my change of circumstance/travel/needs because their fixed system couldn't account for it or sat there judging me for being on the move every few months "oh really, is that how you live your life, will you should be living in one place." "Really, you're going to sit there as a customer service representative and judge me for my lifestyle choices and travelling in my work? Would you mind then putting me through to your supervisor or complaints department about your companies/agencies inability and apparent unwillingness to adapt a solution to meet my particular needs and the several hundred odd thousand entrepreneurial types just like me, who you'd rather just pretend don't exist?" My point, lack of adaptability on the part of the service provider can make for a lousy consumer experience. Who would you rather buy, the service provider who gives a list of everything you can't do and they can't provide for you, or the one who goes the extra mile to meet your needs and give you lots of value, regardless of whether or not you buy?


When we get too attached to our own needs, to following and updating the procedures and how it's supposed to happen (put another way, to our need to be in total control of the outcome at all times for our comfort) we can actually get in our own way, in others way and and sometimes end up getting in the way of the very progress and growth we're supposed to be all for.

So to grow we need...

For our business to grow, and for us to embrace our destiny, some times we need to be willing to let it all go and get out of the way to let the growth, evolution and expansion that wants to happen, happen. To keep our energy and passion on track too. This is why they say entrepreneurship is a bit like flying a plane you're building mid flight.

Thus our ability to thrive, in business, in relationships, in life, is all relative to our ability to adapt and trust in the process of adaptation. Eg the natural flow of life. And adopt systems with the flexibility to hold and adapt with the flow the more flow there is. The busier and bigger the entity grows, the harder it is to hold it all oneself. So that's when you need processes and structure, plus delegation to help it grow. All of which also need to be, what now? You guessed it, adaptable.

Make sense? ​

Until next time, have fun, take care.

Nat xx

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