Although the full impact of COVID-19 is yet to be determined, it certainly has affected both the global economy and our everyday lives. The three biggest areas of disruption that we’ve seen as a result of the pandemic are: the changes we’ve seen with the initial outbreak, the suspension of business and school operations and the recession that resulted from them. And the three areas that helped save the day were remote work, online education, and e-commerce. These technologies were already ascending before COVID-19 happened. It was more about adopting existing technologies and being agile in the face of challenges that were most important rather than embracing them once the pandemic started.
The truth is that adaptability was an important survival skill even before the pandemic, given all the changes in the economy that were requiring people to shift jobs, move to different countries or switch schools ever so often. The idea that we believed everything was going to be stable was unreasonable. The future was never certain — unexpected shifts are always around the corner, whether in personal life or in business.
It’s vital to understand that companies don’t fail because of changes in the environment, but rather because their leaders are unprepared to deal with said change. Adapting to change is what keeps us relevant and at the forefront of competitive edge. Most businesses can survive if they are able to learn quickly and adjust their models to new realities.
Here are three best practices on how business leaders can adapt to change:
1. Focus on what you can control
Adaptability is required first and foremost when circumstances change. It’s easy to get attached to certain outcomes, especially when they’ve been planned long in advance. But we can’t predict the future. Being attached to something might hurt productivity as nothing is fixed and static. Non-attachment doesn’t mean giving up on goals — it means focusing on what you can control. It’s more about having a goal and consistently working towards it.
There are many things we can’t and never will be able to control. So, why focus on them? Why allow them to take your energy and mindshare? Creating a clear picture of what you want and then going after it is a much better strategy.
2. Develop mental toughness
Mental toughness is a skill we all can build. Even though developing new habits and working in new ways is always uncomfortable, we can train ourselves to respond better to change.
We have to recognize that we won’t get it right every time. The more comfortable we get with poor outcomes, the more we can learn from them. Many of us are reeling from more cancellations and suspensions, but we can’t let ourselves stay bogged down by our feeling of disappointment. Instead, we should focus on accepting the new reality, learning from it as much as we can, and keep moving forward. Whether you want to survive a global pandemic or reach the next phase in your career, it’s hard to overestimate the importance of adaptability.
3. Embrace low-code development
Transformational change will continue to accelerate in the new decade and beyond. It’s easy to stay focused on the crisis that’s in front of us. But the opportunity cost of not adapting for the next one is real, even if you can’t see it. This is where the flexibility of low-code comes in. The most important capability for any organization to invest in right now is the ability to adapt and innovate quickly.
Low-code development platforms allow for transformations that are fast, which enables users to meet their requirements better and be at an advantage in meeting deadlines and project goals. Low-code platforms make it much easier to keep up with market changes and stay up-to-date on industry developments and trends.
Importance of Low Code No code platform
The biggest change since cloud-based software.
Low-code and no-code platforms are bringing about the biggest change in the IT world since Google Docs. Cloud-based software forced the rest of the IT world to sit up and listen. Traditional providers were forced to change overnight.
And now the world of DevOps is being forced to listen to the new kids on the block—low-code platforms which have the potential to make software development so easy that almost anyone can do it.
Do you need to build applications for immediate use? Maybe it’s time to move away from professional developers and pick up a new low code platform.
What is “low code”?
Low-code programming removes up to 90% of the coding process. These low-code development platforms cut down on development by using innovative drag-and-drop tools that:
- Streamline the process
- Save on turnaround time
Specialized language knowledge becomes less of a problem because all the groundwork is already written. Application development is faster because specialist coders with narrow skills are not needed.
When you need to develop and release lots of applications, low code helps minimize opportunities for bottlenecks in the workflow. In-demand skills are no longer stretched in every direction: the low-code platform handles that for you.
Because the demand for mobile app development services is outgrowing what the industry can deliver, low-code platforms make it easier for non-developers to create apps. The definition of a developer broadens. Now, non-specialists using low-code platforms can answer the call for more apps—without support from specialists.
How low/no-code is changing the industry?
It’s impossible to deny that low-code tools are having a significant impact on the market. As knowledge about low-code platforms spreads so is the expected market share and the total worth of these innovative companies.
By 2024, Gartner expects that 65% of all app development will originate with low-/no-code tools. Business needs will have become too great to wait for people fluent in programming languages to build everything from the ground up. Instead, business users will take their needs into their own hands.
Forrester agrees with Gartner, estimating that low-code and no-code resources will be worth up to $21 billion in 2022. This incredible growth is due for several reasons, as noted above, but the most important benefit is speed.
Enterprises want to have their applications developed quickly—but are they minimizing the problems with this approach?
Conclusion
When you’re adaptable, anxiety about the future can drastically reduce, allowing you to react to pressing issues more wisely. When you anticipate changes and adjust your attitude and expectations accordingly, changes don’t need to disorient you, they become just another expected part of life. Focusing on what you can control as well as developing mental toughness and embracing low-code solutions, are good ways to improve your adaptability skills.