Observations and findings to help you and your team adapt and respond with confidence.
Charles Darwin didn’t propose the ‘survival of the fittest’. In fact, he said that “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change”. Our ability to form social groups for safety and our ability to adapt technologies have allowed us to evolve and thrive. So while this ability to adapt is not new, we need it now more than ever to navigate the next phase with confidence.
COVID represents the most widespread change in our community since WW2 and we’re witnessing the challenges firsthand. Coaches helping staff adapt to working from home and leading remotely; our psychologists helping people with wellness and mental health challenges; and our career coaches supporting people facing job loss and role redundancy.
While we see the impact every day, with every challenge, there’s a wonderful example of someone adapting and trying something new; people coming together in new ways; strangers helping each other and teams connecting and innovating.
In discussing this for 3 months with over 500 people from business leaders and CEOs through every level of an organisation, we observe three categories emerge as individuals, teams and organisations look ahead to the next phase.
EVOLUTIONS Activities, tools and systems that were being developed and where COVID has been an enforced accelerator [e.g. video meetings].
INNOVATIONS New ideas that have been successfully implemented to improve effectiveness or create new ways of working [collaboration technologies].
ADAPTATIONS Ways of adapting old mechanisms to adapt and improve [office use].
Here we highlight our observations and survey findings to assist you and your team to adapt for the future.
To help us understand how different people have adapted, we see this through the lens of the Law of Diffusion of Innovation. In broad terms, this divides a population into the innovators [2.5%]; early adopters [13.5%]; the majority [68%]; and the laggards [16%].
EVOLUTIONS
There are a number of tools and systems that were either in development in January 2020 or were partially adopted. The use of video meeting platforms like Zoom, Teams, Google meet et al are a good example, as are webinars for learning, development, skill building and information sharing. With an enterprise wide enforcement of these new methods, we found that:
- the innovators were already there and started coaching others;
- the early adopters quickly learned and built confidence;
- the majority adapted and within 2 weeks had found a new rhythm; and
- even the laggards, who would have resisted otherwise, were forced to adapt. And they have.
Companies large and small have upgraded and invested in the technology required to connect, collaborate and deliver. Individuals have learned the functionality like break out groups, polling, chats and screen share. Creative backgrounds and effects have also added a bit of fun and banter.
One of the evolutions that we’re embracing is a more informal way of connecting with people inside and outside the firm, even new relationships. If you’ve connected with me over the last few months, you’ve been in my home. There’s an intimacy to that which has stripped back some of the previous formality in our interaction and I believe that this has only improved our relationship, accelerated our trust building and allowed us to connect in a deeper way.
In our Friday check in survey, we allow people to reflect on how they are adapting with a series of items covering health, wellness, mindset, stress and work. Respondents rate their productivity at 78% which is high given the amount of disruption.
REFLECTION:
Think about how you have adapted as an individual, as a team and as an organisation. What has been an improvement and what impact has this had? Bake these into your new operating model.
What have you learned and what needs to shift further to optimise your way of working? Keep evolving.
INNOVATIONS
If there is one thing that we excel at as a species, it’s innovating in a crisis. COVID has been no exception. Whether it’s the local restaurant setting up a makeshift market to sell produce and meals; the parent making and selling designer masks; or fitness instructors keeping us active online, there are so many examples of people being creative and adapting.
I’m always mining for these stories and I’m inspired by anyone trying new things and successfully connecting with their industry; or creating a new one.
In the remote office, tools like mural, Monday.com, mentimeter, and others in the Google and Microsoft suites have allowed us to collaborate quickly and effectively.
New ways of connecting have formed. Walking chats, check in calls with the CEO, virtual social events, regular companywide interactive meetings and online challenges have all allowed us to connect faster and many cases, more effectively than before.
In our Friday check in, respondents rate their “connection with colleagues” at 73% which is a healthy result given the lack of in person contact.
Look to your innovators and early adopters for their ideas and experiences. With a critical mass of the majority, you’ll achieve acceptance of new innovations.
REFLECTION:
What new things have you tried over the last few months? What’s worked, what hasn’t?
What would make your way of working even better? What can you experiment with?
Try new things. Fail with some, lock in the rest. Ask your network for their learnings and innovations, we’re all in this together.
ADAPTATIONS
If this event were a 2 week trial run, things would likely return to the previous set up. We are now in our third month and the success of these adaptations and innovations means that a return to the previous state is now not an option. The way we use office space will change, the way we travel, the way we buy goods and engage services and the way we interact will all adapt.
Stephen Covey’s Circle of Influence shows us that our mindset and how we approach this will define our experience. By focusing on what we can control, we’ll facilitate better outcomes and support our own wellbeing through change and uncertainty. [VIDEO SUMMARY: The 7 Habits].
For most of us, exactly how things are going to change, stay or return is unclear however we have the opportunity to lean into this uncertainty and start defining how we want to work. Companies don’t have all the answers for how to adapt to a once in a lifetime event so they need all of us to engage and help to find the new patterns, the new rhythms and that new ways of working. In this way, we all have the opportunity to create the desired future state together.
REFLECTION:
What does the ideal future state look like to you? Be specific.
What are the indicators of going back to a previous sub-optimal state?
How can you influence your future state in your family, your role, your team, and your organisation?
WHAT NEXT?
Adaptation for the future doesn’t happen at a government or a societal level. It doesn’t happen at an organisational level. Our adaptation happens at an individual level. It’s the decisions we make, the choices we make. We are the change that we need – each of us.
So how do we navigate these challenges with poise and confidence?
1) Gather your reflections from this article;
2) Lock in the evolutions that work for you;
3) Keep experimenting with innovations to find new ways of working;
4) Take ownership of your adaptations to increase your influence and create your best future.
ALCHEMY
Let us know how we can support you, your staff, and your leaders to adapt and respond with confidence.
In the meantime, visit the Alchemy Career Couch, a collection of tools and resources for staff working from home; leaders leading remotely; people with roles at risk; and those needing some extra support.