“I cannot ever pin him down to an appointment! He always says, “I’ll let you know,” and it’s frustrating! Why can’t he ever commit? Doesn’t he know I have a schedule to keep?”
“She just drops everything when her kids call. I can’t ever plan anything because I just never know if I can count on her to be there. I just don’t understand why — we’ve got a job to do here!”
“I wish my wife would just make up her mind! She is so wishy-washy and indecisive — it’s like she really doesn’t care. But this is an important decision and she just can’t seem to decide!”
StrengthsFinder Adaptability – Flexible and Adaptable to Change
Strengths: They are Flexible and Easy Going
Do you have friends or business associates who have trouble making a commitment? Maybe you can’t get on their calendar at work. Or maybe you’re trying to get the money collected for the bus trip to the beach and those three people — those stragglers — just can’t seem to sign on the dotted line. Perhaps they RSVP for everything you invite them to, but at the last minute something else comes up and they suddenly cannot attend. They wanted to come, really they did — but it never fails that they don’t get pulled in another direction.
You probably have people in your life with the StrengthsFinder talent theme of Adaptability.
Adaptability: The Ones Who Adapt to Change
Those strong in Adaptability easily adjust to changing situations and circumstances. Regardless of the new direction, they respond without anxiety and often shift without a lot of hoopla. They just roll with it, and if you ask them, they’ll tell you that they expected “something” all along. They may not have had a clear idea of what the change would be, but they always seem carry a sense of anticipation. Their attitude seems to be, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” followed by, “It’s all small stuff.”
The person with Adaptability loves variety, too. They don’t mind the twists and turns of life because it gives them something new and different to react to. They enjoy the way their day moves about with a full range of diverse activities that keeps it fresh and interesting.
It Needs to Have Variety
My friend, Autumn, is high in Adaptability and has taught me much about how she lives in this talent. She juggles the lives of two teen-aged daughters, a dozen of their friends, a husband who works from home, a dog and a cat named Binx — along with frequent substitute teaching in addition to all the networking for the family marketing business. Whew! She’s got more balls flying through the air than most and she shifts and turns often based on the changing needs of her family and at-home business. Her daughters need to be chauffeured here and there, the dog has to go to the vet, her husband/partner just downloaded the most recent animation file onto a remote disc and can she deliver it as she’s headed to her coffee appointment? She’s got a busy life, a busy business and she handles the shuffling of duties, dates and last-minute changes as if by magic — effortlessly, creatively and without much resistance. Who cares if it didn’t work out as planned? She never expected it to!
Love Your Adaptability Partner
The next time your friend, family member or workmate with Adaptability doesn’t seem to fit within your well-ordered plans, ask yourself: Where could my life, project or activity need a little change, and who is available who can rock and roll with the new direction? That’s the person who can bend and shift during the transition, smoothing the way.
Find all your StrengthsFinder resources at http://gallupstrengthscenter.com.
Latest posts by Rhonda Knight Boyle (see all)
- Strengths Activation Show 60 – Guests Sakira Baez and Dr. Shauna T Sobers - April 5, 2019
- Develop Your Empathy Talent - November 23, 2018
- Develop Your Adaptability Talent - November 20, 2018
