Building Resilience in the Workplace: Strategies for Coping with Change
How can organisations help employees prepare and build resilience?
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If you look back ten years or even five years to before the pandemic you can visibly see the massive change in the world that has happened since. We see change that has has affected our lives directly but also the world as a whole. The I like to trot out is that Twitter was founded in 2006 which feels like a mere heartbeat ago and yet here we are.
However, when you ask someone what is likely to change over the next five years people often drastically under estimate the level of change coming down the road. The imagined world we see is often very much similar to the world we live in today. And, the same often applies to the way we see ourselves. We very much see our future self as being just the same as today. Again, this is very unlikely to be the case.
There is no wonder then that we are often not prepared for a changing world. When you look at the technology changes on the horizon and think through what that might mean for us do you honestly think that change is going to slow down? If anything, things are likely to change faster than they ever have.
So we need to be ready and building our own resilience is one way in which we can do that. For organisations this is going to be crucial too.
This post discusses strategies for organizations to assist their employees in developing resilience, which in turn will lead to a more resilient business.
Be clear on what the objectives are
Why does your team exist? Why are you taking these actions? Why are you building this or that, or even coming into work at all? These are all questions that your team members may ask themselves, and it's important that they have clear and concise answers. It's easy for leaders to take for granted that everyone knows the bigger picture and the purpose behind what we're doing, but that's not always the case.
It's important to make sure that everyone on your team knows why they're there and what role they play in the bigger picture. This will not only help them to feel more motivated and engaged, but it will also give them a sense of purpose and direction.
Encouraging open communication
This can be as simple as giving people the opportunity to give their views but what is critical is that they feel like they are being listened to. We have recently undertaken a staff engagement survey. One of the more interesting questions on that that was:
“Do you expect action to be taken on the back of this survey?”
When you consider this question it goes right to the heart of a company’s culture. Basically, are you going to be listened to if you speak up?
That leads nicely to the next point…
Taking action
There are a number of ways you can ensure action is taken but the most important for me is to involve your employees in the solution. Please don’t go down the road of putting senior leaders in a room to come up with ideas and then impose them on your people.
There is a real risk here that you totally miss the point being made in the survey and any solutions falls completely flat at best. At worst it creates resentment.
Adopt a flexible approach
Being rigid with staff and team members is not beneficial in today's work environment. It's important to be flexible, especially since many people are working remotely. The goal is to ensure that staff can work when they feel they can produce their best work. While some meetings and sessions may require in-person presence, it's important to allow staff to take time to regroup and recharge, even if that means working in the evenings or at different times. This approach allows them to feel comfortable and not pressured to be present at specific times just to prove they are working.
Allow time for people to build relationships
The online world where we bounce from Zoom call to Zoom call can feel very transactional. Drop in to YouTube and you will see a plethora of tips about how to run an efficient meeting. Clear agenda, stick to times and once everything is covered end the meeting. Quick, efficient and to the point.
However, that meeting could be the only human contact a person in your team has all day. Working from home, especially if they live alone, can be seriously lacking in that human touch.
Something you could try is to schedule your meetings to start at five past the hour but start the call on the hour with a message in the invite that you can join early if you want to so that you can catch up on the latest baby news or simply what you all did at the weekend.
Encouraging employees to take breaks and rejuvenate
As with life, working in an organisation requires more of a marathon mindset. Clearly you cant go out too fast and you certainly cant maintain a sprint for too long without blowing up. And yet many of us go so hard at our jobs that we are left on the verge of burnout. In the medium and longer term, investing in the right level of rest will pay dividends.
Over the years I have staggered through to my next week of holiday. Literally those last couple of weeks are a struggle. But it really doesn’t need to be this way. The key is to build in rest to our daily lives such as:
Build in 5 min breaks between team calls
Take at least 30 min break for lunch
Take a long weekend every 2 months
Take a week off every quarter and ideally two weeks off at some point during the year to give yourself some distance
You will be amazed by the creativity that flows while you are away from your desk. It’s magic. For more tips I recommend reading:
The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
In conclusion
A resilient team is a force to be reckoned with. In themselves they will feel as though they wear a superhero costume. Criticism is taken on board but doesn’t knock them off course, set backs are seen as learning opportunities and a manageable level of stress is seen a good thing that drives people forward. As a leader it is your task to foster the conditions for this resilience to be built.
Hopefully this has given you a few ideas for bringing more resilience into your team. I am 100% sure that it will pay dividends when that change comes.
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Great tips! My team takes two 10-min breaks every day: 10am & 2pm. We also do a daily silly quiz and go to lunch every Friday to the same Pho spot. It's so important to foster those relationships. We work harder for each other because we also keep each other sane. I wish more work places were like this. Definitely going to be checking out your newsletter recs. Thanks!
These are all good reminders. Change is inevitable. You can't stop it.