Flexibility

Ever wondered what it takes to work in tough situations? Have you had to deal with conditions that change faster than you can think about them? If you have faced this type of situation and managed to get beyond it, chances are that you are very flexible in your approach to what life throws at you.

What is flexibility?

Flexibility is being able to change and adapt when change is required. If your circumstances change, your flexibility will help you stay on top without being stressed about the changed circumstance.

How to be flexible

Flexibility has a very direct impact and it is a personal skill needed to deal with changes. But, it is very relevant in everything we do. Even at the office, you have to be flexible. You work with people from diverse backgrounds and you will surely have to engage with different viewpoints. To maneuver through a tough situation, we have to stay calm, rational, and logical. Personal emotions must be set aside for the greater good. We must learn to communicate calmly and with great respect to others.

But flexibility is also required within this work environment. If your work changes, you have to learn to change with the change or meet it head on without breaking. Our working world is a tough place to handle, but if we are to succeed, we must stay flexible in the face of any changes.

To do so, we have to have a certain attitude. We must be positive and have a ‘can do’ attitude, energy to keep working through issues, and a dynamic approach to them. Being creative with our solutions helps too, because it allows us to make sense of questions and propose a solution that transcends what is expected.

Elements of flexibility

• Be open to change and not rigid in your thoughts or approach. If you are open, you will find that it is easier to deal with whatever comes your way.
• Adjusting to the situation requires you to be able to meet challenges head on and make it successful. Being against change helps no one, but being agile enough to move with it helps you immensely.
• Learn effective negotiating and problem solving to manage interpersonal relations as well as to solve the issue at hand.
• You must be able to work under pressure, so that the pressure of work does not make you lose sight of the company goals (or even your own personal goals).
• Communicate and acknowledge other people’s views so that you can reach better solutions with consensus.
• Most important of all, stay willing to learn new things. The ability to learn is a skill that will stand us in good stead at any stage of our life.
• Stay confident and positive.
• Delegate tasks so that you can reduce the possibility of things not getting done.
• Use software that will help reduce time wastage and increase productivity.