Honing your personal agility skills can support your career goals
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
The rapid changes happening in the world, and in business, can leave you with whiplash. However, people with strong personal agility have the capacity to react, adapt and recover more quickly than those who cling to familiar modes of operation.
A survey of professionals toward the end of 2020 (the year of exponential change, to say the least) revealed the importance of this emotional intelligence trait:
“Wiley (publisher of DiSC, Five Dysfunctions and so many other business tools) recently surveyed 2,500 professionals, and researchers found that in 2020:
- 95% of managers, directors and executives identified that the ability to adapt quickly and easily (agility) is more important to success now than five years ago
- 90% of those who responded, (whose positions varied from individual contributor to top tier executive), said agility was more integral to their personal success than it was five years ago”
The need to adapt and to develop new skill sets applies to most professionals, regardless of your job function. As Heraclitus remarked more than 2,500 years ago, “The only constant in life is change.”
When we embrace that idea and see ourselves as capable of growing through those changes, we open up new possibilities for our careers and lives.
Creating a sense of purpose with an agile mindset
Importantly, agility is more than your ability to “go with the flow.” It requires intention, a sense of awareness and a grounding in the realities of why business and society are changing at such a fast pace. You need to be able to identify your unique role within that sea of change.
This Forbes writer offers an ideal visual image of a basketball player learning to pivot (which could also apply to dancers):
“The first rule of pivoting is you have to be clear on where your stable foot should be planted.”
With one foot planted in your personal purpose, you won’t risk losing control as the currents of change try to pull your feet from under you. You maintain connection with an overarching goal that then allows you to take intentional and strategic next steps in your career. That grounded foot helps you set boundaries and create tactics for your next move.
That Forbes contributor goes on to highlight a modern shift toward a “project-based economy” in which individuals have a greater sense of choice in regard to the work they pursue. That choice allows them to align with a personal purpose. He writes:
“If employees are already living with a greater sense of purpose, then companies will have to ensure that they respond accordingly. They need to create a clear, authentic purpose narrative that resonates and attracts the right kind of talent.”
As an agile, purpose-centered employee, you can choose to work for a company that aligns with your purpose. In turn, your ability to pivot and develop creative ideas and solutions will serve the needs of your employer.
Flexible, creative, and savvy talent has become harder for employers to find. As you hone your agile mindset and ability to react and adapt to change, you will become a sought-after asset.
Embarking on new skills to meet current needs
Agility in this context means you need to:
Get clear on your personal purpose
Identify growth opportunities that allow you to develop that purpose and build on your progress
Uncover which skills you will need to take your next steps
Invest time in building new skills that align with employer needs
Move away from a traditional, linear approach to your career development
The way we work has changed, and will continue to change. The most successful executives and professionals will anticipate those changes and develop skills to fill the gaps. According to HRO Today:
“A 2017 report from the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that as many as 375 million workers would have to change occupations by 2030 in response to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and other smart technologies.
Indeed, a February 2020 McKinsey survey confirmed that 87 percent of executives were already experiencing skill gaps or expected them within a few years, but less than half knew how to address the problem.”
The sheer scale of change happening within the workforce today may feel daunting, but we have an opportunity to redefine how we use our time and talent most effectively – both on an individual level and on an organizational level.
If your organization has a current plan for reskilling and upskilling its employees, take advantage of it. If not, seek out training opportunities that will give you the marketable skills you need to advance your career in 2021 and beyond.
Not sure where to begin? Reach out to me for a complimentary strategy call. I work with individuals and teams to identify development opportunities that support agile business and career growth.