Best Tips For Being Flexible At Work

Whether you are an employer or an employee, learning to be flexible at work is a great way to calmly and quickly respond to and cope with changes. This will ultimately result in a job well done. While it comes natural to some people in terms of adapting to changes, it is not that easy generally when you already have a to-do list and a system for getting those things done.

But thankfully, you can take advantage of the tips in this post to learn flexibility at work.

Tip #1: Pay More Attention to What Needs to be Done

It’s easy to get distracted when something goes wrong. But, you can learn to pay more attention to what needs to be done instead of what has gone wrong. If at all you have to worry about what has gone wrong, it should be about the solution to such problem and not the problem itself. In fact, your immediate response to a problem should be how to fix it without much delay.

Here’s a practical example; there’s a change in meeting schedule with potential investors and your virtual assistant or in-house secretary did not remember to re-schedule the meeting after you canceled the initial time or date. Instead of spending precious time scolding the offender or magnifying the problem, you should focus on an immediate solution.

You can quickly delegate your business development assistant to hold the meeting with the investors since they have shown up already. This way, you can focus on the task or other meetings that made you change the initial schedule. Then, you can address the lapses on the part of your secretary later, after you have solved the problem at hand.

Tip #2: Have a Positive Attitude

A positive attitude can go a long way in helping you become more flexible at work. One of such positive dispositions is to tell yourself that whatever stress you are passing through presently is only temporary and will soon pass. This positive disposition has a way of empowering someone to focus more on what needs to be done to resolve the problem at hand.

For instance, an important member of your team may choose to quit in the middle of a big and urgent project. Instead of letting yourself be overwhelmed by the sudden change, encourage yourself with the thought that you will find someone better sooner to replace the colleague who left. This positive disposition will fuel your efforts to find a replacement faster than you can imagine.

Tip #3: Always Visualize the Bigger Picture

Don’t’ be too rigid, even when it is obviously going to affect the ultimate goal. Always ask yourself, how would my decision to be flexible about a certain situation impact the ultimate goal? Is it going to help boost productivity or not? And, if I do not resort to a potentially solution-oriented alternative, what will be the consequence? Therefore, you should always let the ultimate goal to drive your decision to be flexible.

Finally, learning new and relevant skills can help you increase flexibility adequately.

Daven Michaels is a New York Times Best Selling Author and CEO of premiere global outsourcing company, 123Employee. The company employs hundreds of young bright individuals on three continents. His International event, Beyond Marketing Live! Inspires entrepreneurs to build & grow their business with revolutionary new theories and systems allowing them to design the business and personal lifestyle of their dreams