September is a month of transition for many families. For the Horns, going back to school has seen our youngest member move from the Infant Room to the Toddler Room at his daycare. This is huge news with big changes. Teachers no longer heat up lunches and snacks. More kids fill the different space. And, generally, there’s more expectation for our little guy to be more independent. Here’s what daycare transitions have taught me about adaptability.
Be prepared
This is the second time we’ve transitioned a little person into a new room at this daycare. Past experiences weren’t the best, but we definitely learned from them. We have a good idea of what it takes to support a tiny human with releasing themselves from what’s comfortable. Big humans deal with this in our work life with reorganizations, re-prioritizations and layoffs. According to Fast Company’s Gwen Moran, wholeheartedly embracing comfort “…shifts us into the role of process operator. We stick with what we know and we’re reluctant to do things differently.” My son got prepared by going for longer walks and eating with a fork. You might need to develop a new skill or hone a growth mindset. Whatever the case, whether the change is predictable or not, get prepared for it.
Over-communicate
Never underestimate how many times people need to hear the thing or the change before we actually understand it. In collaboration with my son’s daycare teachers, our family talked a lot about the transition and the messages were reinforced at daycare (we engaged his older brother in the conversations, too). To bring out peoples’ adaptability and resilience during a change in your organization or community, make sure you have answers for these common questions that folks ask when their worlds get rocked a lot or a little. Be sure to explain with simple, human language why the change is happening and what’s in it for the individual. For our son there are definitely cooler toys in the Toddler Room!
Test and learn
To get our little guy prepared for moving to the Toddler Room, the teachers did an awesome job of inter-mingling the little people during outdoor play. This allowed for our son to try out toddler toys and connect with future friends. Companies around the world are using experimentation to enhance resilience and foster adaptability. Here’s what HBR’s Martin Reeves and Mike Daimler have to say about the power of testing and learning:
a growing number of adaptive competitors are using an array of new approaches and technologies, especially in virtual environments, to generate, test, and replicate a larger number of innovative ideas faster, at lower cost, and with less risk than their rivals can.
From play areas to remote work, think about what you might test and learn this week in order to enhance your adaptability.
Emphasize wins
People – big or small – are more motivated by positive reinforcement, as opposed to punishment, and good results are best sustained by recognizing successes, as opposed to analyzing failures. Navy SEALs often set small, achievable goals to endure and adapt through Hell Week during their training. Daily Show senior correspondent, Netflix star and personal hero Hasan Minhaj took a similar approach along his journey as a stand up comedian. Our family and the teachers celebrated our son’s wins, such as eating lunch at the snack table or making it through the whole walk, through in-the-moment and dinner table reflections.
Give big hugs
Change – big or small – is hard. The last few days have yielded some bursts of tears during dropoff (for my son, but, for the record, I cried pretty much every day during the first week of his transition to daycare!). Adaptability is easier when you have a community to lean on for support and with whom you can be vulnerable and honest. Think about someone in your work life that you can ask for a big hug when you’re struggling a bit to smash through a barrier to making a change or adapting in a sticky situation. After all, whether it’s through work, a neighbourhood coalition or adapting to a new daycare room, we go farther when we go together.