Adaptability and Resilience: The New Baseline

The end of the academic year can sometimes bring on a mix of transitions all at once: fiscal year changes, shifting schedules and new priorities. In times like these, we might feel like change is a constant state we are learning to live in.

Resilience and adaptability used to be skills people pulled out in a crisis, but they can show up in everyday moments like when you’re learning something new, when priorities shift, when navigating a difficult conversation or when plans change. 

Adaptability and resilience are not only skills you need to thrive in the role you already have, but they are also skills employers expect you to be able to speak to in an interview,” said Kylee Vanek, M.Ed., associate director, Center for Career Readiness.

Although these are highly-common skills, the urgency behind them is new. Many articles and reports list resilience and adaptability as a top skill employers look for, just behind AI fluency and analytical thinking, and for good reason. Accelerating technology, economic uncertainty and a rapidly-shifting skills landscape are all converging.

The good news is the more we practice these skills, the more stability they can provide to keep us going and adjust when it’s needed.

Two Different Skills Working Together

Resilience and adaptability are not the same thing, though they are often used interchangeably. 

Resilience is your internal foundation. It is the ability to stay grounded, recover from setbacks and keep going when things get hard. Think of it as the roots of a tree, what keeps you stable when the wind picks up.

Adaptability is how you apply that foundation in the world. It is the ability to shift your thinking, adjust your approach and try something new when the old way no longer works. It is the branches moving with the wind, bending without breaking.

It's worth noting that resilience and adaptability are not about working longer hours or pushing through exhaustion. They are about building the capacity to navigate change sustainably, so you can keep showing up, not just survive the moment.

You need both. Resilience without adaptability can look like stubbornness, staying steady but refusing to move. Adaptability without resilience can look like chaos, constantly shifting without any center. But together, they create the flexibility and stability that make change manageable. "While the pacing and impacts may look different across industries, it's clear that change is the common denominator when it comes to how we work and live," Vanek said. "While this can be worrying to some, if we can embrace it as the norm, it might be a little less surprising or stressful each time we experience it."

So what do you do when things get hard? Start by using the following questions and reflections to gauge how you can respond to change. You might find that your adaptability to change is stronger than you think. 

Question 1: What do I need to stay grounded and strengthen my roots

Resilience is not a personality trait you either have or do not have. And it doesn’t mean you don't feel the stress. It means you have enough support that the stress doesn’t knock you flat. 

Start by asking yourself: What helps me stay steady when things feel hard? For some people, it's a routine. For others, it's having one trusted person you can talk through things with. For others, it's knowing what you can control and letting go of what you cannot.

A few things that support resilience at work:

• Naming what you feel. You don’t have to fix the feeling. Just acknowledging: "this is a lot right now" creates a small but real distance between you and the stress.
• Protecting one small anchor. Even during chaotic weeks, one consistent thing like a short walk, a weekly check-in with a teammate or five minutes to plan your day, can help you feel grounded.
• Asking for what you need. Resilience is not the same as going it alone. Telling your supervisor, "I could use some clarity on priorities this week" is a sign of self-awareness, not weakness.

These questions are not about pretending everything is fine. They are about anchoring yourself to something solid when the ground feels uncertain.

Quick Reflection (2 minutes) 
Think about the last time you felt overwhelmed at work. What helped you get through it?

Question 2: What do I need to bend without breaking?

Adaptability is what happens when resilience meets a changing situation. It's the shift from "This is not what I expected" to "Okay, what do I do now?" That shift doesn’t always feel natural. Sometimes it feels like loss of a familiar process, a working relationship or a role you've finally gotten comfortable in. Those feelings are real and valid. But adaptability can also be a skill you practice in small, low-stakes moments, so it feels more natural when big changes hit.

Try these practices:

• Reframe the question. When a change is announced, instead of asking "Why is this happening?" try asking "What's the first thing I can do to move forward?" It redirects your energy toward action.
• Get curious before you get frustrated. Most changes have a reason. Saying something like "Help me understand the goal here” gives you more information and it signals you're willing to engage.
• Take stock of what transfers. When a role or process changes, many of your skills and relationships still apply. What knowledge or strengths carry forward? That list is longer than it feels in the moment.
• Practice micro-pivots. Try a different route to work. Switch up when you check your email. Volunteer for a task outside your usual lane. Small flexes keep your adaptability muscles warm.

"Look for solutions before going to a supervisor and suggest a strategy to improve a process that you can see isn't working," suggested Vanek. "This will help you show your value within your team and the larger organization."

Quick Reflection (2 minutes) 
Name one change at work in the last six months you adjusted to, even if it took time. What did you do to get through it? That's your adaptability in action.

Question 3: How do I help others stay rooted and able to bend through change?

If you lead a team (or even if you're a go-to person for your coworkers), your own resilience and adaptability can have a ripple effect. People watch how you respond to uncertainty, even when you don't realize it. But you don't have to have all the answers. What you can do is create the conditions for people around you to feel steady. Teams with high adaptability are 36% more productive and 32% more engaged.

A few things that help you help others:

• Say what you know and what you don’t. Uncertainty is harder when it feels hidden. Even saying "I don't have the full picture yet, but here's what I do know" helps people feel less alone in ambiguity.
• Name the transition, not just the task. When a change affects a team, acknowledge it. You don't need a formal announcement. This statement can go a long way: "I know this shift has added some unknowns. How are you all doing?"
• Ask, then listen. Check in individually when you can. One question, "What's feeling hardest right now?" opens a door that email never does.
• Celebrate the small steadiness. When someone on your team handles a tough moment well, name it. "I noticed how you stayed calm when that meeting shifted at the last minute. That mattered." Recognition is a resilience-builder.

Quick Reflection (2 minutes) 
Think of someone on your team who seems to be carrying something heavy right now. What's one thing you could do this week to check in with them?

Supporting others through change is not separate from your own resilience. When you help a colleague find their footing, you often find your own.

Make It a Habit, Not a Crisis Response

You can't control how many changes come your way. But you can build the capacity to meet them. That's what resilience and adaptability are – skills you practice so that when things get hard, you are already in motion and can stay steady while things move. Like any tree, growth takes both stability and movement: roots that hold firm and branches that adapt to changing conditions.

Take This with You

When things feel uncertain, use this Resilience & Adaptability Builder worksheet as a resource tool to help you pause, reset and regain a sense of control. Reflect on these questions to strengthen your resilience, practice adaptability and identify ways to support others through change. You can use it as a weekly or mid-transition check-in to focus on what you can control, to build resilience and take one small, useful next step.