It’s the age of the digital transformation. Companies are transforming their processes, delivery models, and overall approaches to business in an effort to adapt to constant change. Technology capabilities are integral to every organization’s success—agnostic of region, industry, or size.

How to build flexibility and adaptability

By: Emily Carr, Margot Dileno, and Elise Vu

According to an independent Deloitte study in collaboration with MIT-Sloan, 87 percent of surveyed business leaders believe that technology will disrupt their industry. This statistic shows that organizations at large are aware they need to equip themselves with the technological skills to advance but leaves room to contemplate the readiness of individuals.

The Deloitte and MIT-Sloan study also found that 91 percent of responding companies do not believe their talent can compete in the digital workplace. So how do you prove the cynics wrong and make yourself a valuable part of the 21^st-century workforce? In the first part of this series, “How to stay relevant in a digital world,” we will outline how you can build flexibility and adaptability in order to get and stay ahead as you move along on your own digital transformation journey.

Getting started:

• Switch it up. Routine can stifle creativity and hinder your ability to alter your thinking process. Trying a new route to work, listening to a new podcast, approaching problems at different times of the day, and participating in conversations you normally wouldn’t take part in are all small tweaks that can make a big impact.
• Be open to differing opinions. If you’re typically a reactive person, work on becoming proactive and anticipating responses or ideas that may not align with your thinking. Put yourself in others’ shoes to understand their experiences (both personal and professional), build empathy, and enable a more open mind. Practice this through brainstorming sessions with colleagues who offer diversity of thought through different experiences and backgrounds.
• Don’t get caught up in the uncertainty of the future; make changes day by day. This will help you incrementally manage ambiguity and unknowns as your environment continues to change. Technology is moving at a faster rate than we are able to keep up with, so focus on how you can improve yourself and your skills on a daily basis.