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Resilience in the workplace is more crucial than ever in the new normal of remote work and rapid industry shifts. Resilience enables both organizations and individuals to recover from setbacks and overcome major challenges. But fostering resilience is about more than helping employees deal with problems as they arise — it’s about encouraging an attitude of adaptability and setting team members up for long-term success. Let’s take a look at how your company can build a resilient workforce to better manage crises, navigate uncertainties, and achieve sustained growth.
What is resilience in the workplace?
Resilience in the workplace is the ability of employees to adapt to changes and stay productive despite challenges. It’s a combination of mental toughness, flexibility, and an active approach to problem-solving. Resilience helps employees stay positive and focused on organizational goals when adversity strikes, so they can grow stronger through tackling these difficulties. The impact of resilience extends beyond individual employees to your entire organization, positioning it to better handle market fluctuations, technological changes, and unexpected crises.
Examples of what resilience in the workplace looks like
Resilient employees are able to manage stress and change effectively, thriving amid challenges. Here are some specific examples that show workplace resilience in action:
- Handling tight deadlines. When they’re faced with tight deadlines, resilient employees stay calm and prioritize tasks effectively. These team members find ways to meet goals without compromising the quality of their work, and they know when and how to ask for help.
- Adapting to new technology. Resilient workers quickly learn and adapt to new technological tools and platforms. They embrace change and see it as an opportunity for growth rather than a hindrance.
- Managing workload during staff shortages. When staff shortages occur, resilient employees step up, take on additional responsibilities, and support their teammates. They maintain productivity levels despite the increased workload.
- Recovering from failed projects. If a project fails, resilient team members analyze what went wrong and learn from the experience. These employees use the insights gained to improve future projects and avoid repeating any mistakes.
- Dealing with critical feedback. Resilient individuals accept critical feedback constructively. They use it to enhance their skills and performance, viewing feedback as an important tool for professional development.
- Maintaining morale during organizational changes. Resilient employees understand that sometimes change is necessary, helping to reassure and motivate their colleagues. They contribute to a positive work environment even amid uncertainty.
- Navigating interpersonal conflicts. When interpersonal conflicts arise, resilient employees approach the situation calmly and seek to resolve issues amicably. These workers focus on maintaining healthy working relationships and team cohesion.
- Bouncing back from personal challenges. Resilient employees manage to balance personal difficulties with professional responsibilities. They seek support when needed and continue to perform their duties effectively.
4 ways to build personal resilience in the workplace
No matter what your organization is like, you can always take steps to improve your own personal resilience, honing your ability to deal with challenges and unexpected developments in a positive way.
1. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness involves staying present and fully engaging in the current moment. It’s one of the best tools for managing workplace pressures while improving your mental wellness. Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or mindful walking can help you reduce stress levels and improve your focus.
2. Develop a strong support network
A reliable support network of colleagues, friends, and mentors can provide valuable emotional support and practical assistance during challenging times. These relationships offer a sense of community and belonging, without which even the most resilient individuals will struggle.
3. Embrace continuous learning
Pursuing continuous learning and taking advantage of every opportunity for professional development that presents itself keeps you in the driver’s seat of your career, ensuring that your skills remain relevant as your industry changes and boosting your confidence. When the unexpected happens, employees who have taken the time to prepare themselves and learn all they can are the ones who rise to the occasion.
4. Set realistic goals
Long-term objectives aren’t a bad thing in and of themselves, but a myopic focus on the big picture sets you up for failure and frustration when things inevitably change along the way. You should keep high level business and personal goals in mind while also setting more immediate, realistic, and achievable goals. These shorter-term aspirations will keep you motivated by providing a sense of purpose on a daily basis, while helping you stay flexible and better able to seize opportunities as they present themselves.
3 strategies for improving resilience in the workplace
Improving resilience in the workplace requires initiatives that go beyond individual employee actions. Here are three effective strategies you can use to boost resilience across your organization.
1. Encourage and enable frequent recognition
If a team member feels that their efforts go unappreciated, it won’t take much for them to lose motivation when tough times come around. Resilient organizations make sure that every employee knows they’re genuinely valued by training leaders on how and why to provide consistent, timely recognition. They also ensure that showing recognition is practiced at every level of the company by implementing an employee recognition and rewards platform that all team members can use. The best recognition solutions act as a centralized point of connection where employees can see and interact with others’ messages of appreciation, fostering support networks that team members can turn to whenever they need some extra help or words of encouragement.
2. Understand employees’ needs and challenges
Leaders won’t be able to effectively support resilience at your workplace if they don’t have a solid grasp of what their team members are struggling with. To get a real-time window into the unique needs and challenges of each worker, leverage the data collection and analytics capabilities of an employee engagement solution. These platforms offer intuitive, quick ways for employees to confidentially share their real thoughts with management and HR, whether through a focused pulse survey or by checking in with an intelligent chatbot backed by AI. Leaders can then use the solution’s reporting and analytics features to zero in on areas of weakness before developing action plans that address the key issues they’ve identified.
3. Adopt an empowering approach to management
When leaders are overly controlling and critical, employees’ self-confidence is bound to be brittle, easily falling apart under the strain of adversity. After all, if their manager doesn’t believe they’re up to the task, why should they even try? Ensure that leadership at your organization knows better and chooses to empower team members to succeed, rather than setting them up to fail. Leaders who encourage autonomy, provide opportunities for growth, and practice open, honest communication foster an environment where employees feel trusted and are able to face challenges with confidence. Team members will then take the initiative to adapt as circumstances change, knowing that management has their back as they pursue innovation and strive for excellence.
Start fostering resilience in your workplace today
Building resilience in your workplace is a long-term project, but you can start making progress today with the Achievers Employee Experience Platform. It includes Achievers Recognize, a fully-featured employee recognition and rewards solution that lets leaders and peers tangibly demonstrate how much they value other team members. It also features Achievers Listen, an employee engagement tool with easy-to-use, always-on feedback channels dedicated to providing leadership with real-time data on employee needs and challenges. By fostering connection and understanding throughout your workforce, the Achievers Employee Experience Platform supports a strong culture of resilience that gives your company an edge over its competitors.
Request a free demo of the Achievers Employee Experience Platform today to see how it can empower your employees to adapt and grow.