After facing situations of extreme adversity and challenge, it is said that we grow stronger. Collecting insights and experiences while overcoming hardships and difficulties lends to our fortitude, endurance, perseverance and and resilience. This holds true in both our personal lives and in our professional lives.
This year, most people saw their place of work go through radical change - unlocking a whole new level of stress and anxiety. It is easy to simply operate in "survival mode", however this is not an effective long-term business strategy. Instead, this is an opportunity to nurture our resiliency, both in ourselves and in our work environment.
Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It is not only our ability to cope with crisis, but to thrive and flourish in the aftermath. It is the reduction in our vulnerability to stress and the impact of a stress-inducing event.
Resiliency in the workplace lends to a stronger morale, higher employee retention rate, improved performance and competitive edge. Best of all, resiliency is a skill that can be learned and adopted with some effort and focus on our attitudes and behaviors.
Here are some factors that help to cultivate resilience and fortitude not only within yourself, but in your fellow employees and work culture as well.
Optimism
Reminding yourself that the current state of difficulty you are experiencing is a temporary state and that things will get better is a good way to build resiliency. Look for the positives in every situation and be grateful for them. To generate optimism within your team, have regular check-in's and talk about your team mates' successes. Share positive feedback from your customers/clients with your team.
Achieving Balance
Leave time for health and wellness. Taking preventative measures for physical and mental health has never been more important. Allow yourself the time to meditate, exercise, eat healthy and sleep well. Also, as a leader, allow time and opportunity for employees to participate in social responsibility programs, mentorship programs, or other wellness programs. Know the signs of someone suffering from mental health issues and connect them with help when they need it.
Managing Strong & Difficult Emotions
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict (helpguide.org). Like resiliency, emotional intelligence can be learned and developed. Consider implementing programs or providing access to resources that operate as tools to practice and improve mindfulness, self awareness and social awareness.
Sense of Support
Relationships with colleagues can be a source of strength. Those who demonstrate resiliency tend to have a strong social network of support. Encourage casual meetings and talk about non-work subjects. If staff are working from home, make the extra effort to ensure a solid connection. Keep the communication and words of encouragement flowing. Make yourself approachable - let employees know that they can come to you with a problem.
Stay Consistent
Continuing your company culture when everything else has changed encourages resiliency and fortitude. Company culture is based on a set of principles that are the foundation of your business. Keep them in view of yourself and your team. Company values such as trust, respect, accountability and inclusivity must be shared, agreed upon by all, communicated regularly and embodied by leaders.
Above all else, this year has taught us the value of resiliency. This quality certainly stands as a factor in determining the success of a company - especially during trying times. The strength of a company comes from the strength of its employees and steps can be taken to build on this strength.
