Resiliency in the workplace has never looked like it does today. I’ve witnessed my clients lean into change, get curious, ask profound questions, and make critical decisions. These people are CEOs and leaders in their businesses and their lives. It’s a gift to work closely with them, especially during times like these because I change and learn.
I’ve realized that resiliency in the workplace is created one person at a time. As one person becomes stronger so does the rest of the team.
Resiliency is intentional. It starts with the leader and grows from there.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams
I’ve learned that the best way to gain resiliency as a Leader is to use tools that produce quick, positive results.
Accept that change needs to happen.
Change is hard. An essential aspect of accepting change is to find a way to move forward. To do that, look at your business and ask yourself what’s needed now for where we are? Get curious and get transparent regarding all of your business capabilities, not just the things you are doing today. What can be shifted or adapted? Develop flexibility, be persistent, and have courage. Enjoy being uncomfortable. By looking ahead and looking at the future, you can accept the change to create an optimistic outcome for yourself and your entire team.
Be seen and lead.
Be the head coach. The person in charge. The person people know they can count on to be there with ideas and solutions. When I worked in corporate, I was fortunate to work closely with the President a/k/a Head Coach a/k/a my mentor. As often as possible, he would attend morning huddles, walk through the various departments, and take the time to talk to our teammates and customers. For the most part, his door was always open. He was approachable. If there is just one thing you could do as a leader to build your team’s confidence and trust – it’s to be seen and lead.
Lean into problems and understand it’s a learning experience.
Even during good times, employees are afraid to dig deep into a problem, offer ideas, or come up with solutions because it may go sideways and cause them to lose their job. This thought is even more apparent today. For a business to be resilient, there must be an understanding that everyone is capable of problem-solving and that this is a learning experience not only for them but for the entire organization. In this environment, employees start to develop critical and creative thinking skills, as well as collaboration. This could begin with employees having focused areas to problem-solve or by forming committees to work together on a specific issue.
Define a purpose.
Resiliency in the workplace starts with having a well defined WHY. Has your why changed or shifted? Can you and your leadership team articulate it clearly so your people understand?
In Simon Sinek’s book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, he sums it up beautifully:
Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. By WHY I mean your purpose, cause or belief – WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?
People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.
We are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe, and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us”.
Admit mistakes
Mistakes are going to happen, especially during challenging times. The important part is, what is the lesson from the error? Being transparent about a problem allows it to be addressed and corrected. Don’t let a mistake turn into a hidden agenda. Influential leaders deal with the issue by promoting an open line of communication with others, so the problem is clearly understood and resolved. Admitting mistakes also earns a lot of respect and trust.
Create balance, not chaos
Way too often, when things start to feel out of control, the first place people go is chaos, we need to be in balance during critical times.
My partner, Michelle Burke, wrote a great article on how to create personal resiliency Resilience Bounce Like a Rubber Band Ball. She boils down her top three keys to resilience and delivers a powerful tool to support you along the way.
If you need help building a resilient culture, our Profit and Payback Assessment may give you some insights on where to start.