Adaptability is the ability to adjust your behaviour, methods or posture in the face of changeIt requires mental flexibility, openness to change, tolerance of uncertainty and a willingness to learn continuously. It implies mental flexibility, openness to change, tolerance of uncertainty and a willingness to learn continuously.
An adaptable person does not undergo change: he or she anticipates it, welcomes it and transforms it into an opportunity.
Examples
- Learn to use a new digital tool.
- Adjust priorities to meet emergencies.
Why develop this soft skill?
Today, adaptability is essential for :
- Reacting effectively in an uncertain or changing environment
- Managing organisational transitions (restructuring, digitalisation, hybridisation, etc.)
- Working with a wide range of profiles and generations
- Maintaining performance and commitment despite the unexpected.
It's not the strongest or the most intelligent who survive, but the one who adapts best to change.
Charles Darwin
How can we develop it?
- Open up to different methods and tools.
- Varying working environments (teleworking, coworking).
- Stepping out of your comfort zone on a regular basis (cross-functional projects, personal challenges).
- Monitor sectors and technologies.
- Welcoming feedback as a lever for change.
🔁 Associated skills
- Resilience
- Curiosity
- Change management
- Critical thinking
Self-assessment
✅ I'm still able to deal with the unexpected.
✅ I can easily modify my methods if necessary.
✅ I keep a positive attitude to change.
✅ I learn quickly in a new context.
✅ I'm adapting to new ways of working together (remote, tools, etc.).
Less than 4 yeses? Mental and professional agility is a key area for development.
Training
Developing behavioural flexibility
Read also
The soft skills that will be essential in 2025
To remember
Adaptability isn't simply a reaction to change: it's a way of life. proactive stance that enables you to perform in a fast-moving world. It can be learned, cultivated and developed as a genuine career asset.