Change is inevitable and the rate of change is increasing. According to Emmott Rogers 16% of us will resist change, which is 1 person in 6. These are people who will find keeping a job very difficult. Every aspect of the workplace is transforming and individuals need to be equally adaptable.

The successful employee of the future will have a number of characteristics and key amongst them will be an acceptance to adopt change. The rate of change in all aspects of life is accelerating and business, whether that is private, public or civic, is one of the fastest.

There are two key facets of an individual being adaptable;

• The person must have the correct attitude, the instinctive desire to behave differently. This is not the natural way for many of us but we need to educate ourselves.
• Be capable of acquiring the skills needed for the changed situation. Can we learn and adapt to allow us to adopt?

These two criteria are in that order deliberately. The person who can easily gain skills and knowledge is of no use if the attitude is wrong and they won’t apply them. However, even the best attitude isn’t enough if the technical skills cannot be learned.

It is evident that as decisions are taken regarding the people to be retained at a time of redundancies a key factor will be the acceptance of change and willingness to lead rather than follow.