One of the simplest and most obvious ways is through hypothetical questions: “If this happened… what would you do?”, “if this situation were to occur, how would you solve it…?”, among other possible ones. By answering exploratory and hypothetical questions, it is possible to have a perspective, albeit slight, of the adaptability of thinking to new problems and situations.

The ability to adapt has different dimensions of analysis, complementary to each other:

1. Personality or character traits, which assess thinking style, motivation, emotional intelligence, and other personal traits such as optimism and resilience.
2. Context. The way in which organizations create environments that enhance their employees' ability to adapt, or, on the contrary, constrain it, has a positive or negative impact on the development of this skill. Therefore, this dimension is critical, as it expresses the level of organizational support to each individual, has the power to enhance a collaborative environment and continuous learning and to help deal with stress and anxiety in the various aspects related to the work. Providing the environment that facilitates, or hinders, adaptability.
3. Skills and Abilities reveals who is more adaptable and why. This dimension focuses on the skills developed, either through training, coaching e mentoring, or using previous experiences that shape the behavior of individuals. Those who pursue their goals without becoming demobilized, those who reveal greater mental flexibility to accept changes and new or unexpected situations who are prepared to unlearn and relearn, assume the pool position this competence, predictably the most sought after by companies and organizations in 2021.

The next question is what can organizations do to promote the adaptability of their employees?

The starting point is to prepare, train, educate and develop its employees, accepting mistakes as a way of learning and growing.

A collaborative, supportive culture among its employees and support for individual and team development gives greater autonomy and confidence to face challenges.

The next step is to welcome and encourage behaviors that promote truly transformational leadership, anchored in a strategic vision oriented towards a constantly changing context.

VICA contexts (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) are here to stay. The organizations best prepared to deal with the new normal are those most likely to succeed.