Understanding Adversity Quotient: Can Anyone Explain What It Really Means?

Ashit Mhaskar
Hi,

Can anybody throw some light on the topic "AQ (Adversity Quotient)"?

Regards,
Ashit
(hrdude79@yahoo.com)
Rajat Joshi
Hi

Adversity Quotient®, or AQ®, is the science of human resilience. People who successfully apply AQ perform optimally in the face of adversity—the challenges, big and small, that confront us each day. In fact, they not only learn from these challenges, but they also respond to them better and faster. For businesses and other organizations, a high-AQ workforce translates to increased capacity, productivity, and innovation, as well as lower attrition and higher morale.

AQ science has three important facets—theory, measures, and methods—that stem from 40 years of research and 20 years of application.

AQ theory draws from award-winning science to explain in simple terms why some people are more resilient than others—in other words, why and how they thrive, even in the most demanding circumstance. It also tells us what it takes to become more reslient.

Let me share a example of this in our day to day life..

What are you ....

A carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee...

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.

She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and

placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the

last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes

she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.

She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the

coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.

She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter

smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same

adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being

subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid

interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became

hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the

boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?

Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial

hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my

shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff

spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it

releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better

and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and

trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they

just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go

forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

:)

For more info check the links:-

www.peaklearning.com

www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/ WileyTitle/productCd-0471178926.html - 34k

Cheerio

Rajat Joshi
indrayani
Hi Rajat,

Thank you for giving such a nice description about AQ. I would like a little history as to who coined this term and when. Also, could you recommend any books on the same?

Regards,
Indrayani
srikrish
Dear Rajat,

That was a classic metaphor. Are there any books that make good reading on this topic? If so, could you suggest a few?

Thank you.
adititiwari
Hi Rajat,

This was really good. Any book that you would recommend on the same lines.

Regards,
Aditi
Rajat Joshi
Hi Folks,

Thanks for the encouraging comments. I am glad that you all have liked it. Dr. Paul Stoltz is the author of this best-selling book. To understand this concept a little better, I am attaching the AQ questionnaire. Please answer them and assess your AQ.

Cheerio,
Rajat
2 Attachment(s) [Login To View]

kavithachakra
Hi Friends,

Sorry to be commenting so late on this, but I scored 144 (ARP Score). I think I have made some terrible mistakes in it. Can somebody help me with this? 😳

Regards,
Kavitha
umalme
Hello Rajat,

Please don't take it as a factor, but truly, by the halfway point of the article, I stopped reading and went to the pantry to make a cup of tea.

Warm regards,
John
sridhar.ibs
Hi Kavita,

Can you please let me know what ARC is? What is it used for? What can we know using ARC?
velchal
Hi,

I have used AQ to identify climbers, campers, and quitters for a group of senior managers in a training session. We then linked it with EQ, and it was a wonderful experience. Instead of labeling oneself as a climber, camper, or quitter, you can reflect on your attitude in any critical situation - is it that of a climber, camper, or quitter? This provides a scope for improvement.

V. S. Sudhaker
HR_Pro
Hi Amit,

There is already enough material on CiteHR regarding OCTAPACE. You can browse through the following posts. I hope they will suffice you.
- [url]#9083
- [url]#20385

Regards,
Shiveta Koul
ramarunachalam
Wow... That's really nice. In recent weeks, I have been learning about adversity quotient, trying to understand it deeper because I am thinking of doing a Ph.D. in that field. Could anyone suggest any ideas here, please?

Factors Contributing to Adversity Quotient

When I was reading through a few paragraphs about AQ, I pondered what factors contribute to determining the AQ of a person. I would also appreciate anyone's help in finding the right combination of ideas suitable for the current organization so that I can pursue my Ph.D. I am looking forward to any ideas.

Thanks,

Ram
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