• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Sources of Insight

Better Insights, Better Results

  • About
  • Articles
  • Help Me With
    • My Productivity
    • My Leadership Skills
    • My Strengths
    • My Mental Health
    • My Personal Effectiveness
    • View More…
  • Products
  • Resources
    • Book Summaries
    • Books I Recommend
    • Great Lessons Learned
    • Great Quotes
    • Products I Recommend
    • Special Guests
    • View More…
  • Contact

How To Know When to Adapt To, Adjust, or Avoid a Situation

by JD

Adapt Adjust or Avoid

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” — Stephen Hawking

When you find yourself in a situation that isn’t working for you, analyze it.

You can use a simple frame for analysis: adapt, adjust or avoid.

This frame can help you improve your effectiveness for any situation.  For any situation that isn’t working, determine whether to adapt, adjust or avoid that situation.

When you analyze, also look for the patterns.  Chances are, you’ll find that you behave similarly in similar situations.  Once you know the pattern and what to look for, you can spot these situations faster and improve your effectiveness.

Adapting to the Situation

Can you change yourself to make the most of the situation you’re in?

Adapting to the situation, means changing yourself for the situation.

While flexibility is good, you need to be careful.  You can trade your less effective behaviors, but don’t adapt to the situation in a way that takes away your strengths.

You’d be better off finding a situation where you can play to your strengths.

Adjusting the Situation

Can you change the situation to play to your strengths?  Adjusting the situation, means changing the situation to suit you.

Sometimes this is the best option, particularly if you can set it up to play to your strength.

For example, when you take on a project, can you get the right people on board that compliment your abilities?

Avoiding the Situation

Can you avoid the situation all together?

Sometimes avoiding the situation is the best path.  Learn to spot the situations where you don’t do well.

This is my caution.

Because I turn any situation into a learning opportunity or challenge, I need to know when it’s low ROI (return on investment).

Life’s too short to spend energy in low ROI situations.

Self-Awareness is the Key

If you know your personal strengths and passions, this is your key to success.

You avoid adapting to situations that take away your strengths.

You learn to setup situations in a way that you succeed.  You learn the situations that you should avoid.

You Might Also Like

The Situation Assessment Framework
When It’s Cold Shiver, When It’s Hot Sweat
What is the Role of Luck and Success in Work and Life?

Sharing is Caring:Share on Facebook
Facebook
0Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
0Buffer this page
Buffer
Category: Leadership, Productivity, SuccessTag: Effectiveness, Leadership

About JD

Previous Post: « Why Your Talents are Enduring and Unique
Next Post: The Situational Leadership Model: How To Balance Providing Direction vs Support Change Your Leadership Style Based on Capability and Motivation »

Sidebar

About the Author

JDI am J.D. Meier. Join me on a quest for the world's best insights and actions for work and life. Learn more...

My Best-Selling Book

This is the book that changes lives ...

Become the Greatest Version of Yourself!

Learn better skills for work and life. Stand on the shoulders of giants and awaken your greatness. Realize your human potential through the world’s best insights and actions for mind, body, emotions, career, finance, relationships, and fun.

Features

  • Book Summaries
  • Books I Recommend
  • Great Lessons Learned
  • Great Quotes
  • How Tos
  • Lists
  • Products I Recommend

My Other Sites

JD Meier.com
Getting Results.com

Copyright © 2022 · Sources of Insight · All Rights Reserved