Change comes to our lives as a result of a crisis, as a result of choice or by a chance. In all three situation we are facing with the choice – do we make a change or not? In crisis situations, we actually have no influence over planned and conscious decision-making. The situation surprises us and adjustments are needed. These are often the cause of many emotional and even health problems. We cannot avoid the unexpected events (crisis) in our lives, as it is these events that challenge us and force us to step out of our comfort zone. If we ignore the challenge of change, on personal level we deny also the opportunity to learn and grow.
Our resilience in life can become only stronger when we accept change and manage the challenges in a positive way. Coping skills are the methods a person uses to deal with difficult and stressful situations. They may help a person to face a situation, take action and be flexible and persistent in solving problems
Adaptability and flexibility are two of the very important qualities, highly seeking in various working sectors and under diverse conditions. Both terminuses basically simply mean adaptation to certain circumstances or triggers (external and internal).
Adaptability is a willingness to change or confront your own perceptions or ideas. Flexibility is more an ability to “walk toward others” and meet them halfway. Both are becoming more important in our everyday rapid changing societies and or workplaces and according to Forbes are among the eight skills people will need in the future workplace. The others are: empathy, humility, transparency, competent communication, emotional intelligence and commitment to a vision.
In the field of social sciences and in all spheres of helping professions and activities, including volunteering, the skills are very highly required and represented.
Types of Adaptability Skills
Adaptability we can define as the ability to be creative and flexible in new situations. It is an important survival skill and it is often seen as a personality trait. Some people are ore adaptable, and the others are more struggling. Accepting the uncertainty of the future means planning one step at the time. Taking small steps out of big problems, which undoubtedly pandemic is, means differentiating between the things we can control and can’t control and in this way somehow cultivating adaptability in ourselves by learning it as a skill.
As a soft skill, adaptability requires a number of others soft skills in order to be applied successfully.
Types of Flexibility Skills
Adapting to change requires flexibility. In the pandemic crisis, with all challenges, difficult circumstances, overall uncertainties people are facing complexity in change (physical, psychological, mental, medical, etc). Flexibility and adaptability are the requirements. Many of social researches are pointing out the necessity of social and emotional skills that will enable this process. Rigid personality traits, emotionally illiterate individual inability to develop certain level of resilience can lead to more serious mental distress and even disorder.
To prevent that we point out (3) three types of flexibility that help to adapt to change:
Adaptation and flexibility are extremely important skills in working with people and in helping professions in general. When recruiting volunteers, both skills are an important recognized category for working in exceptional circumstances and under special conditions.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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