Mckinsey academy

Chapter 1
Reflecting on adaptability and resilience
As individuals in an organization, we can benefit from investing in our
adaptability: our ability to learn efficiently and apply that learning across a
variety of situations. This helps us to grow and thrive in times of change.
We will inevitably experience ups and downs when it comes to adaptability.
Let’s look at a representative example. Meet your fictional colleague, Michelle.
She was recently promoted to the team manager level. Her new team is
responsible for rolling out a major organizational priority, but they are
experiencing challenges.
As you glimpse into her work life below, ask yourself:
 Where is Michelle demonstrating adaptability … or not?
 How does this resonate with your own experience?


‫التفكير في القدرة على التكيف والمرونة‬

‫ قدرتنا على التعلم بكفاءة وتطبيق‬:‫ يمكننا االستفادة من االستثمار في قدرتنا على التكيف‬،‫كأفراد في مؤسسة‬
‫ وهذا يساعدنا على النمو واالزدهار في أوقات التغيير‬.‫هذا التعلم عبر مجموعة متنوعة من المواقف‬.

.‫ دعونا نلقي نظرة على مثال تمثيلي‬.‫سنشهد حتما صعودا وهبوطا عندما يتعلق األمر بالقدرة على التكيف‬
‫ يتولى فريقها الجديد‬.‫ تمت ترقيتها مؤخًر ا إلى مستوى مدير الفريق‬.‫تعرف على زميلتك الخيالية ميشيل‬
‫ لكنهم يواجهون تحديات‬،‫مسؤولية تنفيذ إحدى األولويات التنظيمية الرئيسية‬.

‫ اسأل نفسك‬،‫عندما تلقي نظرة على حياتها العملية أدناه‬:

‫أين تظهر ميشيل القدرة على التكيف … أم ال؟‬

Pressure to be the expert
Michelle wants to prove herself to her new team, so she frequently leads with
her perspective on how work should be done. She holds an expert mindset—
putting pressure on herself to always know the answer.
After a difficult start with a new colleague, Michelle finds the time to get to
know him. She shares her own insecurities about leading during challenging
times and also talks about the things that bring her energy. By actively forging
a meaningful connection, they improve their working relationship.
The team is motivated to collaborate with their global colleagues, but is
exhausted from the early mornings, busy days, and late nights. Without time
to recover and renew their energy, their performance suffers.

Aversion to conflict
Even when the topic is controversial, or the list of follow-up actions seems
longer than necessary, it is rare for anyone to push for true alignment and
prioritization. Michelle finds herself hesitant to speak up and challenge the
status quo.
‫النفور من الصراع‬
‫ فمن النادر أن يدفع‬،‫ أو تبدو قائمة إجراءات المتابعة أطول من الالزم‬،‫حتى عندما يكون الموضوع مثيًر ا للجدل‬
‫ تجد ميشيل نفسها مترددة في التحدث وتحدي الوضع‬.‫أي شخص من أجل المواءمة الحقيقية وتحديد األولويات‬
‫الراهن‬
All about meaning
Michelle focuses on maintaining the strong sense of purpose that she has
always felt at work and regularly talks about this with her team. Not only do
they discuss how their individual and collective work leads to positive
outcomes, they share how their personal sources of meaning link to their
work.

‫كل ما يتعلق بالمعنى‬

‫تركز ميشيل على الحفاظ على اإلحساس القوي بالهدف الذي شعرت به دائًما في العمل وتتحدث بانتظام عن هذا‬
‫ بل يشاركون كيف‬،‫ فهم ال يناقشون فقط كيف يؤدي عملهم الفردي والجماعي إلى نتائج إيجابية‬.‫األمر مع فريقها‬
‫ترتبط مصادرهم الشخصية للمعنى بعمله‬
Like Michelle, every day we have a chance to practice adaptability: to see
challenges as opportunities, to keep going when things are hard, and to
respond positively to the changes around us.
Here is the good news: you already know how to do this! You have been
learning, growing, and adapting since birth. According to research,
adaptability is not a trait; it is a state, which you can develop through practice.
In challenging times, being adaptable and resilient reduces our stress,
improves our relationships, allows us to make better decisions, and makes our
work more rewarding. There is no better time than now to continue building
your resilience, like a muscle that gets stronger with time and use.
This course will cover the areas research shows move the needle the most on
individual adaptability and resilience. We hope what you learn and practice
here will make you be more effective in your current role, future-proof your
career, and—hopefully—make living in our fast-paced world more enjoyable.

Explore the five major drivers of adaptability and

resilience
1-Activate learning
Set intentions and develop positive learning habits
Change, uncertainty, and pressure make learning difficult … and yet these
challenging times are precisely when it is most important to adapt and grow.
The best ways to maximize our learning—and our adaptability—are to be
intentional about what we want to learn and to develop positive habits.
‫تحديد النوايا وتطوير عادات التعلم اإليجابية‬
‫ فإن هذه األوقات الصعبة هي على وجه‬،‫ ومع ذلك‬... ‫إن التغيير وعدم اليقين والضغوط تجعل التعلم صعًبا‬
‫ وقدرتنا على‬- ‫ إن أفضل الطرق لتحقيق أقصى قدر من التعلم لدينا‬.‫التحديد األوقات األكثر أهمية للتكيف والنمو‬
‫ هي أن نكون متعمدين بشأن ما نريد أن نتعلمه وأن نطور عادات إيجابية‬- ‫التكيف‬.

2-strengthen personal adaptability and resilience

‫تعزيز القدرة على التكيف الشخصي والمرونة‬
Develop awareness of your mindsets and well-being
Mindsets are more powerful than we once understood and are critical for
adaptability. We can re-wire our brain with new, more resilient mindsets ... but
we often don't. As we develop an awareness of our mindsets and well-being,
especially during challenging times, we increase our ability to make
purposeful, more productive choices that help us thrive in difficult times and
adapt to change.

3- deepen connection ‫تعميق االتصال‬

Strengthen relationships through attention, vulnerability, empathy, and
compassion
How we interact with people everyday matters to them, to us, and to our
workplaces. Quality connections with others dramatically improve the well-
being and resilience of both parties and are key markers of successful
leaders.

4-create adaptable teams

Nurture a psychologically safe environment oriented towards learning
Aligned and psychologically safe teams are the ones that will thrive, and
ultimately power innovation and growth during changing times. Consider how
many hours you spend working, and how the environment you cultivate can
facilitate your and your team's success every day.
‫رعاية بيئة آمنة نفسيا موجهة نحو التعلم‬
‫ وتعزز في نهاية المطاف االبتكار والنمو خالل األوقات‬،‫إن الفرق المتوافقة واآلمنة نفسيًا هي التي ستزدهر‬
‫ وكيف يمكن للبيئة التي تزرعها أن تسهل نجاحك‬،‫ فكر في عدد الساعات التي تقضيها في العمل‬.‫المتغيرة‬
‫ونجاح فريقك كل يوم‬.

5-reinforce with purpose ‫تعزيز مع الغرض‬

Link your actions to personal and organizational purpose
Intrinsic motivation is one of the most powerful fuels on our life journeys.
Having a clear sense of personal meaning helps us cut through the noise of
the world and channel our energy towards what matters most, keeping us
going when things get challenging.
‫اربط أفعالك بالغرض الشخصي والتنظيمي‬
‫ إن وجود إحساس واضح بالمعنى الشخصي‬.‫يعد الدافع الجوهري أحد أقوى أنواع الوقود في رحالت حياتنا‬
‫ مما يبقينا مستمرين عندما‬،‫يساعدنا على التغلب على ضجيج العالم وتوجيه طاقتنا نحو األمور األكثر أهمية‬
‫تصبح األمور صعبة‬

The three examples of learning intentions all focus not

on a specific target, but on improving a process or
discovering something new that is likely to inform a
future process:
 Discover new and effective approaches to virtual collaboration with
customers.
 Practice a structured approach to problem solving to understand the
benefits and drawbacks of entering a new market.
 Gather information about establishing a local supply chain.

Keep these examples in mind as you start to form your own learning
intentions.

‫اكتشف أساليب جديدة وفعالة للتعاون االفتراضي مع العمالء‬

‫ممارسة نهج منظم لحل المشكالت لفهم فوائد وعيوب دخول سوق جديد‬
‫جمع المعلومات حول إنشاء سلسلة التوريد المحلية‬

How can we shift our mindsets?

This is where the APR technique can help. The basic idea is that you bring awareness to your
current mindset and realize how it affects your behavior. Pause to create a wedge in which you
can choose to do something differently—take on a different lens, so to speak—and use specific
reflection questions to reframe your mindset into one that serves you better.

‫ هذا هو المكان الذي يمكن أن تساعد فيه تقنية‬APR. ‫الفكرة األساسية هي أن تقوم بنشر الوعي بعقليتك‬
‫ توقف مؤقًت ا إلنشاء إسفين يمكنك من خالله اختيار القيام بشيء‬.‫الحالية وإدراك مدى تأثيرها على سلوكك‬
‫ واستخدام أسئلة تأملية محددة إلعادة صياغة عقليتك إلى‬- ‫ إذا جاز التعبير‬،‫ اتخاذ عدسة مختلفة‬- ‫مختلف‬
‫عقلية تخدمك بشكل أفضل‬.

What are the behaviors of effective

learners?
1-Preparation
 Set an intention and start small
Set a learning intention and then break it down into subcomponents.
Start with a learning intention—what do you want to be able to do? Setting an
intention makes it more likely that the learning will happen and that you will
enjoy yourself in the process. When the overall goal seems overwhelming,
break it into smaller parts. This will allow you to get started more quickly and
help you maintain momentum—small accomplishments provide a rush of
dopamine, giving you the motivation to continue.

 Plan and prioritize regular practice, your way.

Organize your learning to create focused space and time in your
schedule.
Make learning a priority by breaking out the steps you will need to take and
including them in your schedule as “must-dos” rather than as optional
activities. By taking ownership over your learning, you will satisfy your human
need for autonomy. When we do things our way, we feel rewarded.

 Anticipate roadblocks.
Think ahead about possible obstacles and continue to calibrate.
Before engaging in an activity, imagine the challenges you might face,
whether it is a matter of skill (ability to do it), will (desire to do it), or
opportunity (chance to do it). More importantly, consider how you will work
around anticipated challenges. This kind of proactive behavior will help you
learn more efficiently in new contexts.

2-Execution
Learning and performing to the best of your capabilities, and
enjoying yourself in the process

 Practice deliberately and on the edge

Focus your activity at just the right level of challenge to extend
expertise.
Our most important learning experiences come from prolonged engagement
in a challenging process. As humans, we are wired to enjoy this process, so
don’t run from it! Challenging yourself (on the highest priority things) helps you
to build confidence. The important part is finding a balance so that the task is
difficult enough to remain interesting but not so difficult that it discourages you
from continuing or experimenting with new ideas—it should be just on the
edge.
Teach others.
 Share what you know with others.
One of the best ways for our brains to process information is to teach it to
someone else. Teaching helps overcome the common phenomenon of
thinking we have learned something when actually we have only been
exposed to the information.
 Be mindful
Master the art of paying close attention.
Learning is a continuous process of collecting information, evaluating it in
context, trying new things, and considering alternatives. The art of really
paying attention, and not learning “on autopilot,” can help us do this better
(and make learning more interesting!)

3-Reflection
Learning from your past actions

 Give and receive feedback

Establish a feedback loop to refine your new skills
Sometimes we need additional perspectives on how we’re doing, especially
with skills others can see, like communication, managing others, etc. Ask for
feedback from those around you, and use it to enhance your learning.
Question your assumptions
 Self-examine often
We can prevent our learning from falling into disrepair by addressing what
psychologists call self-serving bias. This is our tendency to accept greater-
than-deserved praise for our successes and to deflect blame for our failures.
Self-examination forces us to hold up the mirror instead of taking the
information that suits us and ignoring that which does not.
Take time to reflect
 Dedicate active time to think about what you are learning and what
it means
Reflection is the mechanism that turns experiences into lasting learning. By
taking the time to process learning we can continually refine our
understanding and skills. Without reflection, even the most powerful
experiences will eventually fade from memory.