Starting a new role, joining a new team or entering a different culture can be unsettling.

The expectations feel different.

The responses you receive aren't what you expected.

And sometimes, without realising it, you start holding back.

In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores a common misunderstanding about adaptability. It's not about becoming smaller or suppressing what matters to you. It's about finding a way to express what matters in a way that fits the context.

Reflection Questions

Where are you currently holding back more than you'd like?

What's one small way you could contribute more visibly this week?

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[00:00:00] Ross: Adaptability didn't mean becoming less herself. Hi there, and welcome to People Soup QuickSpoon, real [00:00:10] conversations about work, leadership, and being human. I'm Ross McIntosh, and here's your QuickSpoon. I often see leaders entering new environments and [00:00:20] questioning themselves. The culture is different, the expectations are different, and the responses they receive aren't what they expected, [00:00:30] and gradually they can begin to shrink, to hold back a bit, to dim their light.

[00:00:36] Adaptability isn't about becoming smaller. [00:00:40] It's about finding a way to express what matters in a way that fits the context. Here's something to try: Where are you currently holding back [00:00:50] more than you'd like? And what's one small way you could contribute more visibly this week?

[00:00:56] That's your Quick Spoon. Until next time, take [00:01:00] care