About the author Gemma Leigh Roberts is a Chartered Psychologist, the founder of coaching platformThe Resilience Edge, and author of Mindset Matters: Developing Mental Agility and Resilience to Thrive in Uncertainty, published by Kogan Page, priced at £12.99. An example of a company that has adapted to changing circumstances frequently is Netflix. The business has successfully shifted its business model several times to align with consumer demands and advancements in technology - and grown exponentially because of it. “ “ VISION & STRATEGY understand new information; pattern formation, whereby you start to connect the dots between knowledge and ideas you’ve acquired; novel problem solving, which entail creating new solutions to challenges. Here are four ways you can start to develop your mental agility: 1. Challenge yourself to find new solutions When you face a new challenge or the situation around you changes, take some time to consider alternative options rather than act immediately on your first idea about how to respond. You may find that you go with your immediate response. Still, you’re challenging yourself to consider other options rather than automatically responding in the same way you usually would (which can often lead to achieving the same results you’ve always achieved). It can also be helpful to gather perspectives and opinions from others you trust to determine how they would respond. 2. Learn from past events to direct your future When facing an unfamiliar situation, take some time to consider how you’ve responded to challenges in the past. What would you do again in the same situation? What would you do differently? This process turns past challenges into learning experiences that will shape how you tackle challenges in the future. 3. Make continuous improvement part of your routine Often, it’s the minor tweaks to our habits that create lasting results over time. Take some time every week to quickly review what’s gone well for you over the last week and what you would like to do differently in the future. This can be a very simple process, which is ideal because you want the review process to be as appealing as possible to ensure your review time doesn’t get bumped in your diary. 4. Embrace novelty Whether it’s taking a different route to work, checking out an art gallery or museum you’ve not visited before, or ordering something different from the menu in your favourite restaurant – challenge yourself to try new ways of doing things. Taking a different route to work for example could lead to you seeing a new store that’s opening, and the concept gives you an idea about changing one of your products, or you may come across an office you forgot existed and make a note to yourself to catch up with a connection that works there. www.ceotodaymagazine.com 55
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