PeopleSmart in Business eBook - The Platinum Rule

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Four: Creating Personal Power Through Behavioral Adaptability
Now, for the other half of this adaptability formula— versatility. Our
research indicates people have a more clear-cut understanding, and
generally a higher developed level, of fl exibility than versatility. Versatility,
instead, involves a set of personal aptitudes which are distinctly
diff erent from merely being willing to adapt. Many people are willing
to modify their behaviors, but simply lack the required set of abilities.
Versatility is a complex set of mental and emotional abilities that
we acquire over time through a variety of sources. Th ese include formal
education, daily life experiences, and observations of others who
demonstrate these same behaviors.
Th e good news is that versatility can be learned. People aren't born
either high or low in versatility. But more versatile people tend to approach
every situation in each day of their lives as new opportunities
for learning and growing. And, of course, others make a personal
decision to opt for the lower road—getting the consequences that go
along with the easier way of doing things in life.
Higher versatility is characterized by these personal aptitudes:
• resilience—learning how to cope in spite of setbacks, barriers, or
limited resources
• vision—foresight, creativity, and imagination
• attentiveness—being mindful and aware of stimuli in the environment;
reality-focused
• competence—capability of managing required tasks and being
knowledgeable about required subjects and people; including uses
and updates of appropriate abilities
• self-correction—able to initiate and evaluate by oneself, seeking
feedback as appropriate, characterized by a problem-solving mind
set/approach to matters