Four Ways to Develop Personal Agility in Your Career

Foster your capabilities for flexibility and versatility in the face of change with these four tips to develop personal agility in your career.

In a previous blog, I discussed the importance of developing personal agility in order to build a career path that leads to greater personal fulfillment and organizational achievements.

Times of change can be daunting but they can often be rewarding if we are agile enough to sort out what needs to be done to move forward and raise our hands to help the organization move forward.

Here are four actions you can take to foster your capabilities for flexibility and versatility in the face of change.

1. Cut through avoidance by reflecting on times when change had positive results and apply what you learned then to your current work situation. Prepare a list of the benefits that accrued to you and your organization as a result of those changes. Be proactive and positive about engaging in the change process and network to obtain the facts and information you need to take advantage of the changes.
2. Address your own and others’ resistance by identifying what you can control or influence. Focus your actions and energy on what you can control or influence and let go of the rest. Sort out the facts from the rumors to clarify how the change will affect you. Try to network with others who are moving forward and vow not to say “I can’t” -- not even to yourself.
3. Refocus by engaging with colleagues to use your collective influence skills to drive the team and the organization forward to accomplish goals. Identify potential obstacles and generate ideas to overcome them. Take calculated risks to move forward and be open to new ways of doing things to refocus your efforts. Aim for small, measurable steps and ask for help and resources to produce results.
4. Move into renewal. At this stage you should expect to be held accountable for results. Watch for changing business factors that will affect your organization and your team and try to anticipate the next change and plan for future scenarios. Hone your ability to be nimble and maintain forward progress.

As you become more agile, check in with yourself and others to maintain momentum and continuously improve your personal agility competencies. You are on your way to more effectively managing your career and adding value in the face of what will certainly be more changes in the new world of work.