Now Is the Time to Invest in Adaptability—Not Cut Back

It happens almost every time: When things feel uncertain—politically, economically, or socially—the knee-jerk reaction for many companies is to cut back on what they view as “non-essentials.” Things like training, professional development, culture initiatives, future planning and even marketing can take a backseat as they dig in to focus on the leanest possible operations.

But what if that’s exactly the wrong move?

History has shown that organizations that invest in themselves during times of upheaval come out stronger. During the 2008-2009 recession, companies like Amazon, Airbnb, GE, Proctor & Gamble and Netflix leaned into innovation (Source: Wolfestone Group), pivoting and adapting to the new normal and came out on the other side far ahead, while many others scrambled to catch up. The same happened during COVID. Companies like Pepsi, Starbucks, Walmart and Amazon invested in their people and not only survived the upheaval, they thrived.

As legendary venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has famously said of downturns and challenging times: now is the time to build. (Source: Andreesen Horowitz)

The same holds true today—but it’s not just about building products. It’s about building resilience.

In a world where nearly one-third of job skills change every three years—and up to 75% for some roles—investing in your team’s Adaptability isn’t a luxury. It’s your organization’s insurance policy against obsolescence.

Adaptability Should Be Your North Star

Traditional training programs and change initiatives often fall short because they focus on the what—the tools, technologies, or new systems—without ever addressing the how. How will your people respond to the change? How do they deal with ambiguity or uncertainty? How do they persist through setbacks or reframe challenges as opportunities?

The AQai Adaptability Assessment helps organizations answer those questions by measuring Adaptability Intelligence (AQ) with a practical, research-backed framework that doesn’t just identify skills—it uncovers the underlying capacity to evolve. The AQai model’s dimensions and subdimensions aren’t measuring fixed personality traits. They’re assessing dynamic capacities that can change with context and be optimized over time. Having this baseline knowledge of how your team and your organization adapt to change is vital for charting a course for success in uncertain times.

The Cost of Waiting

Many companies hesitate to act during uncertain times. But the reality is, uncertainty isn’t going away, and the pace of change is happening faster and faster. Whether it’s AI disruption, economic upheaval, geopolitical turmoil or cultural shifts in the world at large or within your workforce, the future, even if you try to ignore it, will continue to test your team’s ability to adapt.

Postponing investment in Aadaptability now is like slashing your marketing budget during a downturn: you might save a little in the short term, but you risk falling behind when the dust settles.

And the investment doesn’t have to be massive. For less than the cost of sending a single employee to a conference or replacing a high performer, you can give your team a foundation for building resilience and long-term Aadaptability. You can give them tools to thrive through change—not just survive it.

Adaptability in Practice

Here’s a concrete example of how investing in Adaptability now can deliver immediate ROI and dividends down the road.

Let’s say your team is facing the rollout of a new AI tool and few, if any, have any experience using AI in their job. They may be apprehensive and uncertain. Two employees could respond very differently:

Both have strengths and blind spots. And both can benefit from targeted support—if you know what they need. Learning this before you roll out the new AI tool can help you implement strategies to help these individuals better adapt to this change…and the next one, and the one after that…and so on.

That’s the power of the AQai model: it offers leaders a map of how their teams adapt (or don’t) today, and more importantly, a compass for moving forward to develop the skills to better adapt with intention no matter which way the road turns.

Build Adaptability from the Inside Out

For organizations ready to invest in their future, the AQai Adaptability Certification is a great first step toward building internal capability. Certified facilitators can bring the assessment and development process in-house, allowing you to embed Adaptability Intelligence as a strategic advantage throughout your organization.

It’s also an excellent complement to other HR assessment tools you may already use, like DISC or Motivators. The AQai Assessment provides an important layer of insight into how people respond under pressure and through change—and how that response might change in different settings or situations.

AQai Adaptability Certification costs less than a typical leadership retreat or software implementation and it pays dividends across every business function—from onboarding to leadership development to change management—and for every department, from operations to procurement to finance and IT. Everyone, in every role, in every organization can benefit from learning their Adaptability Quotient and how to leverage their strengths in times of change, both in their work and in their personal lives.

Don’t Wait for Stability

If you’re waiting for things to “calm down,” to feel more stable, to return to “normal” (whatever that is), you’ll be waiting forever and getting left behind. Change and uncertainty ARE the new normal and it’s vital that we accept that and act accordingly. The organizations that will lead the next era are the ones taking action now—building Adaptability muscle before the next disruption hits.

Change is coming. The only question is: will your team be ready?

If you’re ready to future-proof your workforce and give your people the skills to thrive in uncertainty, get started now with our upcoming AQai Adaptability Certification course. Enrollment is open now for the July 2025 session. But hurry—spots are limited and the longer you wait, the more likely your team is to get blindsided by the next change or missed opportunity.

Sign up now:

Brochure: https://www.CompetitiveEdgeInc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AQai-Brochure-July-2025.pdf

Registration form: https://www.CompetitiveEdgeInc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AQai-Registration-Form-July-2025.pdf

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