In my last post when I wrote about how we should adapt, some of the comments led me to realize that I've missed out on an important point. How exactly do we actually adapt? I mean there is no syllabus in any subject in school that teaches that. At least in my country, that is. If you have such topics covered, I would be interested to know how it is being taught.
However, let me speak from the perspective of an educator about adaptability.
The Moment You Realized that...
Everything is a lie. Have you ever gone through school and graduated into the workplace realizing that you have learned absolutely nothing helpful for your career? Ok, maybe not absolutely nothing, but a lot of the things learned was not applicable to your work. That is what many teachers feel.
Now, there is a myriad of factors, but chief of all is that you can't predict how a group of humans will respond based on a textbook. What I mean is that the textbooks on education present an ideal situation of how a class is like. However, most classes are less than ideal and it is up to the teacher to adapt very quickly or face a very difficult semester.
So, how do we adapt quickly? Here are a few tips that I've used to survive the transitions from different schools and classes throughout my career.
Tip 1: Shock and Awe!
Hey, you go big or you go home, right? My first class is always about shock and awe and no, I don't unleash a barrage or artillery fire on my students, nay, I unleash fun and games on them. The goal is to overwhelm them so much that it buys me time to get to know who I'm dealing with a strategize.
So, if you want to adapt to a new situation, bring your best talents to bear and bombard that new challenge of yours with everything you have! You may be a planner, so use that talent of yours to plan your next move. You may be a social butterfly and know many people, well, its time to call in some favors to help you out in the challenge that you are facing.
If I have lost you, basically, lay out all your cards, talents and resources on deck and throw it at the problem. You need to buy time so that you can restrategize.
Tip 2: Leverage Tech
Whatever issue that you're facing, chances are, someone has faced it before. Hence, take the time to Google and research how these people got over it. Their situations may not apply to you but it just may spark something in you that can point you in the right direction.
Furthermore, a lot of new tools and apps can be easily learned through Youtube or other How-to videos. So leverage tech to help you figure out how to best adapt to your situation.
Tip 3: Make Mistakes!
This may be cliche, but it stops people from taking the first leap simply because making mistakes is something that is frowned upon by many. However, when you can't plan or have no more resources to throw at the problem, the only way is to take a leap of faith. You may need to address the problem and go in blind, but make a few mistakes and you'll quickly learn what is working and what is not.
Most importantly, know that it is always darkest before the dawn. So while you are faced with darkness and uncertainty, the question is not how we should adapt? But the correct question is:
"Are you willing to start?"
The answer is to have adaptability with creativity!
Very good advice for adaptability, I know first hand that it is a somewhat uncomfortable process and more so the first few days, however, the habit and trying to relate in a healthy and pleasant way in my opinion works excellent.
@lenonmc21
Financial Markets Analyst