Every organization today is undergoing some form of transformation—new technologies, shifting markets, evolving employee expectations, AI integration, and the list goes on. But the real question isn’t whether you’re changing. It’s how you’re responding to that change.
Are you simply adopting it—absorbing it, complying with it, and getting through it?
Or are you adapting—learning from it, growing stronger, and using it to build long-term capability?
The difference may sound subtle, but it’s a dividing line between short-term compliance and lasting resilience—between surviving and thriving—and it’s why Adaptability Intelligence is so critical.
The Myth of Adoption as Success
When organizations roll out a new system, restructure, or implement new processes, success is often measured by how quickly employees “get on board.” Adoption rates, completion stats, and compliance scores are the primary metrics of progress.
But adoption alone doesn’t mean people have actually adapted. Biting the bullet isn’t rooted in growth or progress. It’s rooted in perseverance and tolerance.
For example, let’s say a financial services firm rolls out new reporting software. Leadership announces a mandatory training, and within 3 months, 98% of staff have completed it. Sounds like success, right?
Not quite. Six months later, productivity hasn’t improved. Employees use the tool at only a fraction of its capability, and many still export data to Excel because it “feels more comfortable.” They’ve adopted the change—they complied—but they haven’t adapted to it.
Transaction vs. Transformation
Adoption is transactional—it’s the act of adjusting to a new process or following new instructions.
“But if you’re just going through the motions, that’s compliance, not Adaptability,” said Krista Sheets, Competitive Edge CEO and Adaptability expert. “Adaptability is transformational—it’s about internalizing change, connecting the dots, and using the experience as a springboard to thrive in new conditions.”[1]
Individuals can adopt a change without understanding it, believing in it, or feeling equipped to sustain it. And when that happens, fatigue and disengagement soon follow—the cumulative result of change fatigue, burnout, and a lack of psychological recovery from constant pivots. They’re forced to live in an adapted behavioral state, draining their energy and engagement.
Change Fatigue Is Real—and Costly
The data is clear: too much unmanaged change without the proper support leads to exhaustion, not enthusiasm. Gartner reports that 3 out of 4 employees say change causes them stress, and 7 in 10 feel more anxious at work because of it, negatively impacting their performance (Source: Gartner).
That’s not an engagement issue—it’s an Adaptability issue.
People can only absorb so much before they hit a breaking point. When organizations continually pile on new initiatives without helping people process and learn from them, they drain the very resources—Energy Management, Engagement Activation, Event Response, and Emotional Regulation—that fuel performance.
The result? Burnout, quiet quitting, and the “job hugging” phenomenon—employees who stay but stop striving.
“When people are forced to operate in an adapted style for too long without recovery, their energy dips from recoverable fatigue to burnout, which can sometimes be irreversible,” Sheets said. “Building an Adaptability skillset is essential for helping people feel empowered to learn and grow from change.”
Adaptability Is a Buildable Skill
The good news is Adaptability isn’t a personality trait—it’s a trainable, measurable skill.
The AQai Adaptability Assessment measures 15 subdimensions of Adaptability Intelligence (AQ) across three categories—Ability, Character, and Environment—to help leaders and employees understand not just how they respond to change, but why, when, and under what conditions they thrive.
Think of it as the difference between testing someone’s eyesight and teaching them how to read. Adaptability helps people explore, interpret, learn from, and leverage change so they get better at it over time.
For example, an employee high in Resilience and Growth Mindset may recover quickly from a failed project, but without strong Unlearning skills, they might repeat the same mistakes. Another person with strong Grit may persevere through tough times, but risk burnout if they never pause to recalibrate.
An AQai Assessment and building Adaptability Intelligence helps individuals recognize those tendencies and develop patterns that support sustained performance.
Adaptation in Action
In an organization focused on Adaptability, the key is understanding where people are and what they need to adapt—not just adopt—change.
Consider a manufacturing company that’s introducing a new workflow automation system. To support Adaptability Intelligence, before launch, leaders run an AQai Assessment to understand employees’ Event Response (how they handle uncertainty) and their work environment perceptions.
The results might reveal that high performers in certain departments struggle with high-stress levels and highly reactive emotional states. To address the issue, leadership invests in team coaching, introduces peer mentors, and establishes “learning sprints” to normalize experimentation and feedback.
Not only do employees adopt the new system, but they also adapt their problem-solving behaviors, share ideas for improvement, and develop confidence that carries into future projects. That’s the difference between passively absorbing change and actively benefiting from it.
The Cost of Staying Static
Organizations that mistake adoption for adaptation are playing a dangerous game. Research from Quantive shows that 90% of companies struggle to pivot when market conditions shift, and many rely on surface-level compliance instead of developing deep Adaptability.
This short-term illusion of success can mask long-term fragility. The organization can roll with the punches, but at the expense of its long-term strategy and survival, and employees’ health, engagement and creativity.
And the cost isn’t just operational—it’s also human. Burnout now affects 82% of employees, with Gen Z and millennials reporting the highest rates. (Source: The Interview Guys) When resilience runs on empty, organizations lose not just talent, but innovation, creativity, and trust.
Building Your Adaptability Muscle
Just like hitting the gym, Adaptability strengthens with intentional practice. The more you train it, the easier it becomes to flex when it matters most.
Here’s how organizations can begin developing true Adaptability Intelligence:
- Measure, don’t assume. Start with a baseline using the AQai Adaptability Assessment. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
- Coach and debrief. Use the results to create personalized development plans that address individual strengths and gaps.
- Align environment and ability. Ensure the workplace culture—support, stress levels, and communication—enables Adaptability rather than suppresses it.
- Normalize reflection. After each major change initiative, conduct a “learning audit.” Ask: What worked? What didn’t? What must we unlearn?
- Reward learning, not just outcomes. Celebrate progress, not perfection. Encourage curiosity and experimentation. Acknowledge failure, but don’t punish it. Instead, encourage your team to learn from those lessons.
The more often teams practice these strategies, the more automatic Adaptability becomes. Over time, employees will begin to anticipate change instead of fear it.
Adaptability Protects Energy, Engagement, and Emotional Stability
The 4Es Framework—Energy Management, Engagement Activation, Event Response, and Emotional Regulation—shows how Adaptability underpins every aspect of performance. When employees are equipped to adapt, they conserve energy, sustain engagement, respond constructively to events, and regulate emotions under pressure.
But when they’re forced to absorb constant change without learning from it, all four systems degrade, and the organizational “engine” eventually sputters out.
Adaptability isn’t just coping with change. It’s learning to grow from it.
Change is inevitable. Growth is optional. Choose growth.
Organizations that treat Adaptability as a one-time training or a personality trait will continue to cycle through burnout and disengagement. Those that treat it as a muscle to be built—through measurement, coaching, and cultural alignment—will emerge stronger and more resilient every time the world shifts.
Ask yourself: Are your people just adopting change, or are they learning to adapt to it?
Because only one of those will keep your organization energized, engaged, and ready for whatever comes next.
Ready to benchmark your organization’s adaptability?
Contact us today to learn how the AQai Adaptability Assessment can help you measure, develop, and strengthen the skills your people need to thrive through change.