Posted by Adaptable Leadership - Building Leaders for Changing Times on 7/30/2008

Unlocking the DNA of the adaptable workforce

Creating an Adaptable Workforce is desirable but hard. Only 14% of organizations feel that they are very prepared to adapt to change. See what IBM found in their 2008 study of Human Capital performance.








Unlocking the DNA of the adaptable workforce
IBM
http://www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8BB4CFC5-CD7E-424A-9241-3A40DDD6308C/0/Hewit_AM.pdf


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Posted by Adaptable Leadership - Building Leaders for Changing Times on 7/28/2008



Business success requires leaders to be highly adaptable. Every day new challenges, opportunities and market forces create a chance for adapting. What worked yesterday may be the last strategy for success tomorrow. Good leaders know when to adapt.
The adaptability continuum depicts the challenge between being too flexible or too rigid. It's easy for leaders to lean towards one side or the other. After all, we know what worked for us in the past. So what's the right amount of adaptability? The answer: It Depends!
Leadership adaptability requires that leaders understand their operating environment. No two situations are the same. What is right in one situation may not be right for the next. So to be a highly adaptable leader make sure you are in tune to your operating environment.

Posted by Adaptable Leadership - Building Leaders for Changing Times on 7/26/2008

Dictionary.com says that adaptability is "the ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances." Sounds easy right? Wrong!

Most organizations find that change comes with substantial resistance and reluctance. The problem is the way we use to operate seems so much easier. Within a corporate culture we develop norms and operational procedures that lead to certain outcomes. Or at least they use to.

Now in a changed environment too many organizations find themselves leading in the same way. It's comfortable, known and predictable. But it is pretty easy to predict that if leaders don't adapt to change they will be obsolete and run their organizations into extinction. Adapting to change is hard. That's why companies need bold leaders to adapt. In order to have an adaptable workforce you have to have adaptable leaders.

Posted by Adaptable Leadership - Building Leaders for Changing Times on 7/22/2008

IBM Global Services recently published the results from a study on Human Capital Management. The study interviewed over 400 companies from 40 different countries. One of the clear themes that emerged from their study was that developing an "An Adaptable Workforce is a critical capability."

Today's advancements in technology, globalization and new business models puts companies at an advantage if their workforce is prepared to adapt. In a rapidly changing marketplace staying ahead of the changes puts an organization in a position of strength. The problem is only 14% of organizations said that their workforce was very capable of adapting to change. So if adapting to change is a critical capability I have to ask why do only 14% of organizations feel prepared to adapt to change?

Tell me your thoughts!

Posted by Adaptable Leadership - Building Leaders for Changing Times on 7/20/2008

Yes, adaptive capacity, which includes such critical skills as the ability to understand context and to recognize and seize opportunities, is the essential competence of leaders. - Warren Bennis

Adaptable Leadership™, LLC partners with corporations to develop leaders prepared for the unknown challenges of tomorrow. Our unique methodology for leadership adaptability was developed from research conducted primarily with the most elite unit of Special Forces. These soldiers are deployed on classified missions that require adapting to significant changes to ensure that missions are accomplished successfully and the team returns home alive. Our founder, a psychologist who spent an entire career devoted to Human Performance Management, worked to develop and train Adaptable Leadership™ in these military units.

Leadership training is widely available today. The retiring baby boomer population has left Corporate America with weak leadership bench strength. The American Society of Training and Development says that Leadership Training is the number one spending area in corporate training. There is a clear understanding that improving your capabilities of your leadership team correlate to an improvement in company performance. Simultaneously there are challenges that make business success even more difficult. In an era of globalization, technology advancements and increased competition the blueprint for success is constantly changing. What worked to lead a company to success in the past may be the last strategy to implement in the future.

Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterates of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Organizational success is dependent on radical transformation, not once or twice, but continuously. The problem is most leadership courses teach individuals what to think not how to think. In a rapidly changing operating environment it is critical that the leaders on the ground understand how to think so that they can adapt to bring success.

Adaptable Leadership™, LLC is committed to developing leaders that understand how to think. Our training programs are designed to prepare leaders for the unknown challenges of tomorrow. If you would like more information about developing your leaders to be adaptable please contact us at 770-617-9028 or email us at info@adaptableleadership.com .

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