Recruit for adaptability

Based on research out of Harvard and McKinsey, the chances are high that a) you think Adaptability is the #1 leadership skill and b) you’re not doing anything to develop it.

What’s the issue?

1. I’m guessing that you rely solely on change management to prepare your people for change. Trouble is, going through change doesn’t make people more open to the idea of change. If it did, with every extra project your organisation notches up, the less inertia you’d be experiencing each time.
2. The good news is that you can make people more adaptable – and there are a few of us out there who can help you with that. The bad news is that it takes time, because adaptability is about changing leadership behaviour, so it has to be approached more like a coaching programme than a standard knowledge transfer event. And that’s a problem for you, because the chances are that, ironically, the strategists at the top don’t tend to think about the need to raise adaptability until after the change has hit the fan.
3. You’re already recruiting, but if you continue to not hire for Adaptability, you’re standing still in a world that isn’t.

Activities to consider

1. Consultancies like ours that focus on productivity through leadership adaptability are not your only option. You can start, right now, on your own, using your recruitment as a channel to raise the adaptability bar.
2. Think of Adaptability as a Venn diagram of Curiosity, Courage and Velocity. Now, simply think of some questions that explore these key skills, both in terms of their track record and put them on the spot with scenarios.
3. So, for example
   
   – ‘If you’re appointed to this role, what are the 3 most things you’re going to want to know? Tell us why, and tell us how you’ll do it’.
   
   Think about the new CEO in Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions story who appears to do nothing for quite a while, when she’s in fact almost 100% focused on discovery – predominantly about her leadership team.
   
   – ‘What’s the bravest decision you’ve ever made at work? What made it so hard and what drove you to overcome that?’
   
   As a candidate, it is possible to prepare for and therefore BS the answer to this question. But the great thing about courage is that unless you’re a fully paid-up member of Equity, it’s hard to fake. If they’re not brave enough to be vulnerable in an interview, how brave will they be at embracing unwanted, unplanned change?
   
   - 'You have to construct a plan in 24 hours to lose 30% of your headcount. Explain how you’d do that’.
   
   What you’re looking for is a balance of speed, direction, and preparation i.e. don’t knee jerk, but don’t wait for the perfect moment that will never come either. And it’s not really about which factors they use (such as performance rating vs. length of service), but rather their ability to demonstrate critical thinking around risk management and decision-making.

Try this

Review your interview content. Start hiring for adaptability with your senior leadership appointments, but if you can see that it makes a difference to who you appoint, remember it’s relevant at every level – unless you don’t think your frontline staff need to be adaptable too...

At HPC, we developed Adaptability Based Leadership with the express purpose of raising productivity through more engaged, better led staff. If that approach resonates, contact me and let’s get you started on the next phase of your journey towards mastering leadership.