The Adaptive Paradox

Organizations and their people face a constant stream of shifts, disruptions, and transformations. In fact, a recent survey found that most workers experienced some change in their company in the past year, with over a quarter describing it as “significant” or “transformative.” Looking ahead, 43% expect major shifts to occur in the year to come.

These changes, however, are not isolated incidents. They’re ongoing, overlapping, and in many cases, unexpected. This relentless pace can be both exciting and exhausting, demanding new levels of adaptability from people, teams, and organizations alike.

Routines are often dismissed as sources of complacency and inertia in a world that demands flexibility. But despite this conventional wisdom, routines aren’t the enemy of change. Instead, when intentionally shaped, they can cultivate adaptability and resilience. And far from holding us back, the right routines help us pivot, grow, and thrive amid constant transformation.

The Human Drive for Routines

Human beings, by nature, crave structures and patterns. From the moment we wake up to the way we approach our work, our routines guide much of what we do.

A routine is a sequence of actions or behaviors that are regularly followed, often in a fixed order. Routines can be personal or collective, but they are not accidental. Rather, they’re learned behaviors designed to serve specific goals and essential to how we function.

When a firm takes action for the first time, there’s no established routine to guide it. Over time, successful activities are repeated. And with each repetition, these efforts become codified and eventually entrenched as best practices—proven patterns that replace deliberate planning and decision-making.

Organizations cannot survive without routines. Otherwise, they will be overwhelmed by their daily operations. Routines help conserve energy, cut decision fatigue, and keep a steady pace throughout the day. They’re the silent engine behind our ability to be efficient and reliable.

Energy Matters for Creativity and Adaptability

To adapt to change, we need the mental bandwidth to respond creatively and flexibly. When our energy is depleted, it becomes much harder to innovate, solve problems, or even handle everyday challenges.

Ongoing change can strain employees’ well-being. A recent survey shows 54% of workers say job insecurity significantly increases stress. Those facing unexpected changes are far more likely to report mental health impacts—52% versus 17% who did not.

Ambiguity worsens the effect. Among employees experiencing workplace uncertainty, 59% say it harms their mental health, compared to just 18% in stable environments.

This dynamic creates the adaptive paradox. Constant change demands that we evolve our practices and approaches, yet the effort to continually adapt drains our energy and leads to exhaustion.

Energy and well-being form the foundation for creativity and adaptability. But constant, unpredictable change erodes our mental and emotional reserves, leaving us less able to respond constructively. By streamlining daily actions—and conserving our energy—routines keep us resilient and ready to pivot, even when the world feels turbulent.

From Rigid Rituals to Adaptive Routines

Routines are often seen as a source of stagnation—scripted behaviors that keep us complacent and resistant to change. But this perspective overlooks the bigger picture: routines, when intentionally shaped, can be powerful allies amidst disruption.

The key is to move from rigid rituals to adaptive routines—repetitive or patterned activities directed at change and designed to support development and expansion. They function as routinized learning activities—ones that provide stability while allowing employees to experiment and adjust to changing conditions.

So, what makes a routine “adaptive”?

• Intentional Design: Adaptive routines are thoughtfully crafted to include moments of learning and adjustment.
• Situational Awareness: Rather than locking us into old patterns, adaptive routines encourage us to stay alert to changes and respond effectively.
• Built-in Reflection: Regular check-ins are a core feature. They fuel growth and expand our ability to respond by asking what’s working, what needs to change, and how we can improve.

While the environment shifts, adaptive routines keep us grounded. They help us stay productive and efficient by encouraging continuous learning, so we’re always ready for what comes next. And they provide a sense of control, reducing stress amid uncertainty. By embracing adaptive routines, we transform repeated actions from rigid habits into engines of growth.

4 Ways to Make Adaptive Routines Stick

Change is inevitable, but adaptability is a choice. Organizations that thrive in uncertainty embed flexibility into their operations. Adaptive routines make this possible—they provide structure without rigidity, creating stability while leaving room for renewal. When these routines are authentic, visible, and reinforced, they become part of the culture and turn adaptability into a core capability.

Below, we offer four ways to make adaptive routines stick in your organization:

1. Make it multi-level

Adaptive routines are most powerful when they’re enacted at every layer of an organization. When people, teams, and the business all embrace adaptive routines, they reinforce one another and create a culture where adaptability is supported and flexibility is second nature.

2. Make it fun and culturally relevant

Adaptive routines don’t have to be dry or mechanical. They’re more likely to stick when they’re engaging and resonate with your team’s unique culture. Injecting a sense of fun and familiarity can transform routines from chores into energizing rituals. And when routines are fun and culturally relevant, they fuel engagement, learning, and adaptability across the organization.

3. Make it visible and recognized

Adaptive routines are most effective when they’re visible and celebrated. Don’t let good practices hide in the shadows—make them a visible part of your team or organization’s identity. When adaptive routines are visible and valued, people are more likely to embrace and sustain them.

4. Make it aligned and consistent

Adaptive routines have the greatest impact when they are coordinated and mutually reinforced across individuals, teams, and the organization. When aligned and consistent, routines at every level work toward the same goals, creating synergy rather than confusion. The entire organization moves forward together—amplifying adaptability, building momentum, and achieving results that no single level could accomplish alone.

Building Change-Capable Organizations

In times of constant flux, organizations need a sustainable change capability, not just change management. Capability means delivering consistent, reliable outcomes rather than ad hoc fixes. And it’s the ability to repeatedly execute activities that achieve desired goals. A lucky break or one-off success doesn’t qualify as a capability.

Routines have earned a bad reputation in a world that prizes flexibility. Yet, science tells us they exist for good reasons. Our supply of personal energy—crucial for creativity and adaptability—is not infinite. We need to optimize—not maximize—the use of this precious resource.

Instead of seeing routines as barriers to progress, we can turn them into tools for efficiency and flexibility. With thoughtful design, regular reflection, and situational awareness, routines can help us conserve energy, reduce stress, and spark creativity. Companies that channel employee energy toward purposeful routines can achieve transformative results through ordinary activities.

Organizations thrive when they embed adaptive routines, reward effective practices, and embrace intentional change. Success in a dynamic environment is not about erasing structured behaviors—it’s about continuously evolving routines to meet new challenges and opportunities, again and again.

Download the full report.