Companies should face new challenges with an adaptive mindset rather than trying to use old solutions, says Graeme Codrington, co-author of Leading in a Changing World, in MDM Interview: Beyond Change Management.
An adaptive problem, as defined by Harvard Professor Ron Heifetz, is one you have never encountered before.
"It cannot be solved using your existing systems, structures, processes, procedures and technologies," Graeme says. "It’s going to require new learning. It’s going to require you to make fundamental changes."
Many distributors are used to resolving only technical problems, which can be solved with current systems, processes, procedures and technologies. "You may have to work hard to find the solution, but the building blocks of the solution exist in your system already," he says.
However, using this same approach to solve a new problem won't work. For new challenges, distributors should develop an adaptive mindset and be open to fundamental changes, rather than searching for a solution where one doesn't exist.
Read more about implementing a mindset change and adapting to new problems in MDM Interview: Beyond Change Management.
