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2.  According to Dictionary.com the definition of versatility is “capable of or
adapted for turning easily from one to another of various tasks, fields of
endeavor, etc” Being versatile is going to be a major challenge for many.
We get so used to doing something the way we have been doing it that
we don’t consider other ways. Many of us don’t try to learn new ways or
methods or even new fields of endeavor because it takes us out of our
comfort zone. The problem becomes that when our skill set is no longer
needed we are stuck and jobless, or at least not receiving the
compensation we were once earning because we are working in some
job that requires a lower skill level.
 Those of you that plan on being in the workforce seventeen years from
now need to know today that you are likely to be replaced by
automation or the need for your skill set will just disappear. We had a
taste of that in the recession. Companies let people go and then
retooled with machinery and methods that did not require those
employees when business improved. They needed different skill sets,
more advanced skill sets.

3. Professional versatility helps you make the most of situations like
these including, when necessary, enabling you to completely
reinvent yourself in the workplace.
Even when their career is progressing according to plan,
professionals still need to be versatile in order to move
successfully to the next stage such as accepting an international
assignment, transitioning into management or becoming a
specialist when they have to date been a generalist. Versatility
and the ability to, in part at least, reinvent yourself can be a
valuable skill when a new CEO or other senior manager takes
over.
Professional versatility is something everyone can work on as an
integral part of their overall approach to professional
development. Versatility in professional life involves:
 knowing and building on your core professional qualities;
 doing things at work that make you more versatile; and
 developing certain personal skills that enable versatility.

5.  Many employers use cross-training to ensure that
operations run smoothly if anything goes wrong. That
means you need to be flexible and willing to expand your
skill set. Learning several job functions shows your
employer that you’re a valuable asset. Take the initiative to
step outside of your normal duties, and meet the demands
of your company, not just your job.
 If you’re not excelling in your current position, but are
expanding your skill set, your employer may be willing to
move you into a different role. Employees that use their
varying skills to increase efficiency and contribute to the
team will always be able to find a place within the
company.

6.  Some challenges may require you to step out of your
comfort zone. This is good! Being a human “Swiss Army
Knife” can help you face the most challenging situations.
 No matter where you work, today’s fast-paced
environment almost guarantees that you’ll need to adapt to
new business practices and technology standards. As this
technology enters the workplace, you need the ability to
keep up. Additionally, changes in company culture and
environment call for diverse and open-minded employees.
Those that see the importance of versatility during rapid
growth, or changes in a business model, are likely to
excel.

7.  If you manage stress well, creatively solve
issues, handle unpredictable work situations
with professionalism, and seek opportunities to
learn within the organization, then you’re
showing your boss that you have what it takes.
Take the time to learn each day. Work toward
that promotion. Take advantage of any
seminars, workshops, or meetings that might
expand your knowledge. Personal and
professional growth is the key to upward
mobility.

9.  Just as athletes need a strong core physically,
professionals need a strong core of qualities
that together define who they are as a
professional. These are the qualities they take
with them, and build on, whatever their career
trajectory. Core professional qualities stay with
you including when your career takes an
unexpected turn. They are enduring and
transferrable; for example, commitment to high
standards, ability to work under pressure and
ability to relate to a wide range of personalities.
They are a valuable anchor especially when
professional life hits some turbulence.

10. To be clear about your professional core, start by
listing the professional characteristics for which you
are, or want to be, known. The following checklist is by
no means exhaustive but is intended to help you get
started:
 Lifelong learner
 Effective problem-solver
 Team player
 Independent thinker
 Respected leader
 Influential communicator
 Creative innovator
 Competent business analyst
 Productive networker
 Sought-after adviser

11.  It’s important to remember that core professional
qualities are different from, yet have a significant
bearing on, specialist technical expertise. When you
are clear on the constituents of your professional core,
you are well-placed to keep them in mind and pay
attention to developing them further in parallel with
technical capability.
 For example; a qualified vet, with several years of
small animal practice behind him, came to realize that
he wanted to move away from veterinary practice. He
effected a successful transition into selling veterinary
pharmaceuticals and subsequently progressed to a
senior management role in that field. The rigor he
applied to diagnosis and treatment in his earlier career,
his capacity to relate to a very diverse range of people
and his enthusiasm for technological advances all
accompanied him as he reinvented himself at

13.  Putting your hand up to take on new, challenging responsibilities can
be a great way to develop and demonstrate your versatility.
 For example, a business analyst had noticed a succession of account
managers attempting to improve the organisation’s relationship with a
particularly difficult customer. It was a relatively small account and
each had found they were too taken up with the demands of larger
clients to resolve issues with this client once and for all. Seeing an
opportunity to apply her strengths in problem-solving, negotiation and
relationship-building to a new challenge, the business analyst
volunteered to deal directly with this client. A successful outcome led to
her becoming the go-to person for dealing with other seemingly
intractable situations.
 Many professionals have discovered opportunities to apply their
versatility at times of significant organisational change such as when a
new CEO or senior manager comes on board. And restructuring often
opens up new possibilities for professionals who have worked on their
versatility.

14.  When you’re working hard to build your reputation as a
professional and to fulfill current objectives at work it’s easy to
lose sight of what’s happening beyond your immediate work
environment. Yet your versatility as a professional depends on
observing the ‘bigger picture’ around you – in your immediate
workplace and in the broader working environment – so that you
are ready to act in the interests of your career.
 For example, a change of government from one political party to
another and associated increases in funding for social services
led to the opportunity a young psychologist had been hoping for
– to move from part-time employment in a small private practice
into a full-time role in community health. She was clear about
her core professional qualities and had thought enough about
their transferability to convince her new employer that she was
sufficiently versatile to succeed in this new environment.

15.  Changing customer expectations, the application of
emerging technologies and shifting competitive
forces all mean that organisations can’t afford to
stand still. Making yourself indispensable is a way
to demonstrate your versatility because
indispensability is about remaining relevant when
everything around you is changing.
 It’s important to note that being indispensable as a
versatile professional is very different from making
sure the organisation is dependent on you and only
you to perform certain tasks.

16.  Most people are resistant to being pigeonholed –
personally and professionally. Yet when
professionals establish their reputation is one
relatively narrow field of work, the perception can
easily form that their career advancement potential
is limited. It pays to think about career
advancement potential and to make sure that you
address any skills gaps well ahead of applying for
specific opportunities. For example; moving into
management or taking on more responsibility in
other ways will require you to demonstrate the
versatility needed to make that move.

17.  Professionals who have successfully transitioned their career know the
value of particular personal qualities that have helped them do so – in
particular, the ability to tolerate anxiety and the willingness to live with a
degree of uncertainty.
 The versatile professional knows that in order to try something new you
have to be able to tolerate a degree of anxiety and even fear. They
know that the way to deal with those emotions is to think about what
they are fearful or anxious about, acknowledge it and, when relevant, do
something constructive about it.
 A capacity to live with a degree of uncertainty also helps you become
more versatile at work. Familiar routines, applying well-honed skills and
working with people you know all help you feel comfortable. But to
engage in the activities suggested here that help you be more versatile,
you need to be able to live with uncertainty – about whether you have
the necessary knowledge and skill and about whether you will succeed.