PeopleSmart in Business eBook - The Platinum Rule

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Four: Creating Personal Power Through Behavioral Adaptability
Interestingly, many people tend to be more adaptable at work with
people they know less and less adaptable at home with people they
know better. Why? People generally want to create a good impression
at work, but at home may relax and act themselves to the point of unintentionally
stepping on other family members’ toes. Not an attractive
family portrait, but oft en an accurate one.
We can gain a better understanding of how adaptability impacts
the eff ective management of situations by looking at its application
to a variety of professions and their related role or job requirements.
Th is process is essentially the same one that is used by major selection,
recruiting, and career development consulting fi rms around
the world.
A sales job which involves a single, simple product line is most
likely to require high fl exibility, but may not require much versatility.
Another sales job involving multiple products that are complex and
changing usually requires both high fl exibility and high versatility.
Contrast this with the position of nuclear researcher that requires very
high versatility, but much lower fl exibility. Th is lower fl exibility actually
protects this person and others from being open to trying possibilities
that may literally blow up in their faces. Finally, picture the job
requirements of a single working parent of two teenagers. Here again,
versatility is the key ingredient in managing the myriad of competing
expectations and demands. Of course, a moderate level of fl exibility
allows the lid to stay on so peace and order prevail and the children
don’t end up parenting the adult!
Adaptability works
Eff ectively adaptable people meet the key expectations of others in
specifi c situations—whether it’s in personal or business relationships.
Th rough attention and practice, you can achieve a balance of strategically
managing your adaptability by recognizing when a modest com-