Adaptable organizations report a 28% increase in revenue over a three-year period, as well as 3x more growth, and 4.8x more innovation compared to slow-moving companies, a recent McKinsey report reveals. “Leaders and teams in adaptable organizations are better prepared than others to assess unexpected situations, reorient themselves, double down on what’s working, and walk away from what’s not—and do it all quickly”, the report continues. In other words, adaptable workplaces are flexible, resilient, and can easily deal with challenges and turn them into growth opportunities. In particular, strategies like hybrid work policies, mindfulness programs, and giving employees freedom to experiment are just a few ways leaders can create strong, adaptable teams able to thrive and innovate amidst change.
Implement a Flexible Hybrid Work Policy
A shift to hybrid work arrangements — which are a mix of in-person office work and remote work — is a key way to keep your business adaptable throughout unexpected situations. For example, if your office is forced to close due to extreme weather, power outages, or any other disruption, your hybrid team will be ready to continue their work from home as usual with minimal downtime. Hybrid work arrangements can even give you a competitive advantage. 74% of employees say hybrid work makes them more productive, while 76% say it motivates them to work harder. It also improves work-life balance for 85% of employees, which increases loyalty and retention.
When it comes to hybrid work models, there’s plenty to choose from. For example, with a 2-3 model, employees are in-office for two days a week, and work remotely for the other three days. Alternatively, a flex-time approach means you have core in-office hours defined and let employees choose their start and finish times. Ideally, ask your employees what sorts of arrangements that appeal most to them, so you implement something that works well for all.
Designated Home Work Spaces Improve Focus
It’s also important that your hybrid team all have the right home office set-ups, so they’re able to work continuously without interruption. Fortunately, 53% of employees already say there’s fewer distractions at home compared to the office, but having a specific area within the home purely designated for work can make it that much easier for employees to get in the zone and maintain concentration as they work. “Your brain will start to associate your chosen space with [...] work, and you’ll find that it is easier to focus when you are in your dedicated space”, explains Rob Baranowski, Technology Consultant at the Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization. This, in turn, will help your team quickly adapt to the new hybrid work arrangement and maintain optimal productivity.
Encourage Workplace Mindfulness
Mindfulness — a mediation technique that involves awareness of your emotions, body, and surroundings — cultivates workplace adaptability as it creates resilient employees who remain calm and focused even in stressful or uncertain situations. Notably, 80% of 500 General Mills employees who participated in a mindful leadership program said their decision-making improved as a result, while 89% said they were now better listeners. As mindfulness involves present moment awareness and not getting caught up in overwhelming or unhelpful thoughts, it puts you in a better mental place to make clear, informed, and measured decisions under pressure, rather than just basing them off of impulse or habit. This is a key hallmark of adaptability.
So, to introduce mindfulness into your workplace, arrange introductory employee mindfulness sessions. Classes on mindfulness, breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga can teach your team to clear their minds of negative thoughts and cope with whatever the day throws at them. Once employees have completed a session or two, you can also try group mindfulness practices to further cultivate a culture of adaptability. For example, start meetings with short breathwork sessions. Slow, intentional breaths can lower stress, boost creativity and energy levels, and create a level of separation from whatever you were doing before, so your team can be fully-present and focused throughout your time together.
Encourage Experimentation
“Teams that prioritize experimentation are better equipped to adapt to change and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving business landscape”, CEO Mark Snell tells Forbes. When your team has the freedom to experiment and take risks, they can tap into their creative energies without fear of judgment or failure — indeed, failure should be normalized and looked at as an opportunity to learn and improve. In turn, employees are more likely to devise innovative solutions to problems. So, encourage experimentation and iteration within a supportive environment. For example, ask team members to brainstorm 10-15 solutions to a certain current business problem. This way, creative juices will flow and lead to breakthroughs.
Workplace adaptability is essential to long-term business success. A hybrid work policy, mindfulness program, and culture of experimentation are key ways to create resilient, creative teams who work well with change.
Nina S. Blake is a writer with a research journalism background, who is always eager to explore new niches and tackle diverse subjects.
