Why AQ is critical to your success
You may not have heard of AQ before but it is something that you may be familiar with nonetheless. You've likely heard of IQ - Intelligence Quotient - and EQ - Emotional Quotient, but what is AQ?
AQ stands for Adaptability Quotient. It is the ability to change quickly in response to changing circumstances. Adaptability has a direct impact on our personal and professional success, as well as many other aspects of life. Being adaptive means being able to shift perspective when needed; change course of action if needed; respond in different ways depending upon the situation at hand.
AQ, unlike IQ, is something that can be learned and you are not born with. You may have a higher or lower AQ because of your environment growing up, but if you are an adult and don't feel like you are very open to change, you can still learn how to do this - and it is a great skill to have in your toolkit.
Why is AQ an important skill to master personally?
AQ can be a game changer in your life. AQ is a measure of how well you respond to change, both as it relates to adapting quickly when new opportunities arise (or circumstances change) but also coping with stress and high pressure situations. If you are able to adjust easily, quickly, or without any difficulty, it means that you have an AQ that is high enough for the particular situation. The more adaptive you are, the better equipped you'll be in many aspects of life; if you don't cope well under pressure then that could lead to challenges at home and/or at work. Some reasons why developing your AQ is beneficial include:
Higher quality of life: Change and death are the only constants in life and while death comes later, change is here and upon us on a daily basis, and how we choose to react to change determine the quality of our life. Individuals who are good at adapting quickly will be able to identify more opportunities for growth than those who cannot think outside the box and adjust their approach accordingly. This ability enables people to see things differently so they may come up with fresh ideas which could result in huge gains over time.
Career advancement: Adapting quickly will help you in your career. When new opportunities arise (or when circumstances change), it's good to jump on them quickly before they disappear. People often regret waiting too long without taking risks; if you don't take action, then nothing will change - or things may change in an undesired direction.
Better health: Stress can be used as fuel or it can be something that depletes you. If new situations or change stresses you out, this can result in higher cortisol levels in your body. This in turn can weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to illness. Being adaptable means that you do not get stressed as easily or that you use stress as fuel, which in turn strengthens your immune system, which is one of the contributors to better health.
Improved personal relationships: The way you approach change or a new situation can affect your partner, children, close family and friends. If you are stressed and react from a place of rigidity about an idea or change, it can cause arguments or resentment. If you are flexible, you are more willing to listen and be open to conversation.
AQ is important not only for individuals but also for organizations - in sustainability and other domains. Most of us are familiar with the Blockbuster and Blackberry stories - brands that were successful but did not adapt to changing customer demands and technology, and as a result, are no longer in existence
Why is AQ an important skill to master as an organization?
AQ is crucial because if a company doesn't adapt to change, they will eventually fail and go out of business. The world around us is constantly changing so AQ needs to become second nature for organizations that want longevity: a way of life over time. In addition to being flexible enough to deal with constant changes in technology or competitors' strategies, companies need staff who have a high AQ, because it is the individuals within the organization that make or break the company. It can be argued that Blockbuster and Blackberry did not have individuals - especially executives - with a high AQ and as a result, they did not adapt quickly enough to a changing market.
As this related to sustainability, there are a few reasons why it is important for companies to have a high AQ:
Resilience to climate change: Not only are companies impacted by the changing climate but they also have an effect on it. For example, IBM's commitment to renewable energy will provide stability for their customers and lower their carbon footprint while providing a boost to local economies in developing countries that need clean power sources.
Innovation through creativity: This is important because when you create something new (or innovate), this offers your company added value which can help sustain its growth during down periods or changes within the industry. One way to increase AQ is by creating different scenarios based on what might happen if a competitor were suddenly able to
Be the leader in your industry - or at least keep up with the competition: When your organization has a high AQ, this can help your company stay ahead of its competitors. This can be done by watching signals in the marketplace or in the supply chain or in another part of the business and redirecting policy, products, strategy, etc... to respond to those changes.
I would venture to say that AQ is more important than EQ or IQ. Why? Because if you are intelligent but are married to your idea and are not open to changing direction if you need to, then you will miss out on opportunities, connections, and new experiences. You can also be self-aware and emotionally intelligent but still not flexible.
AQ can help us be more resilient, better at coping with change, and able to find new opportunities when old ones no longer serve us. It is a skill that can be developed. Here are some ways you can start cultivating your own AQ so that adaptation comes naturally during challenging times in your life - both personally and professionally:
Acquire new skills: Learning a skill you don't have can open up opportunities that didn’t exist before. It's true, too, with adaptive skills - such as critical thinking and problem solving! Developing these key abilities will help build your AQ by strengthening the cognitive processes of adaptation.
Confront challenging situations head-on: One way to develop an AQ is through experience in difficult or uncertain circumstances. When we confront our fears, anger, doubt, etc... it can change us for the better. These times are when we grow both personally and emotionally because they require so much courage from within ourselves; this builds resilience over time until adapting becomes second nature without any anxiety at all!
Learn about uncertainty management strategies: These can include learning about different perspectives from those around you , experimenting with new behaviors in safe contexts, reframing your thoughts to understand a situation differently, etc.. These strategies will help train your brain how to handle the unknowns of life because they translate into all sorts of situations that may arise throughout adulthood.
When reviewing these, keep in mind that there is no strict formula or rulebook on how one can develop their own personal AQ - but what matters most is making progress toward becoming adaptable by challenging yourself to be more flexible.
Anca Novacovici
Anca is an author, speaker and founder of Eco-Coach Inc. She is passionate about supporting individuals and organizations around going green and environmental sustainability. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.