The Growing Importance of Resilience

Resilience has emerged as a critical topic in the aftermath of recent global events, particularly in the context of managing a multi-generational workforce. A study conducted by CV-Library underscores the growing importance of resilience, with 57% of employers recognizing it as a critical skill for candidates. Furthermore, 71% value adaptability, a fundamental aspect of resilience. These findings highlight the significant emphasis businesses place on employees demonstrating resilience in today’s dynamic environment.

So, what exactly is resilience? Is it an innate trait, or is it something acquired through experiences, particularly during childhood?

According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, resilience is defined as the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. This adaptation involves mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility, allowing individuals to adjust to external and internal demands

Various factors contribute to an individual’s ability to adapt to adversities, including their worldview, the quality of social resources available, and specific coping strategies. Importantly, even if someone lacks resilience, psychological research indicates that resources and skills associated with positive adaptation can be cultivated and practiced.

Resilience, often referred to as “grit,” is a crucial quality for individuals, leaders, and organizations to cultivate. Individuals with a strong sense of resilience become valuable assets to their co-workers, leaders, and employers.

Managers Play a Role

Managers play a pivotal role in fostering resilience among team members. Understanding their needs and areas for improvement is essential, as higher resilience correlates with stronger individuals capable of facing challenges and emerging empowered for subsequent endeavors. By comprehending employees’ obstacles, distractions, or challenges, managers can provide targeted support. At Know Your Talents, the PDP ProScan behavioral assessment is employed to enhance understanding of individual behaviors and motivators, directly impacting adaptability in challenging situations.

Resilience Training

The journey toward building resilience, whether individually or within a team, begins with gaining a comprehensive understanding of resilience types, assessing current resilience levels, and following steps for improvement. In an excerpt from LearnKey, LLC.’s online Resilience course, subject matter expert Kerri Laryea, Ph.D., discusses four types of resilience:
• Physical
• Psychological
• Emotional
• Social
Most people identify higher levels of one type of resilience or the other. This may also be linked to an individual’s Kinetic Energy Level as measured by the ProScan.

Additionally, Dr. Laryea covers the seven components of resilience:
• Confidence,
• Connection,
• Character
• Contribution,
• Coping
• Control
The course provides tools for self-assessment and valuable tips for building resilience.

Organizational Resilience

Shifting focus to organizational resilience, William J. Lieberman, Founder & CEO of The CEO’s Right Hand, emphasizes its critical importance. In the rapidly changing landscape marked by political-economic and environmental factors, businesses globally are facing disruptions in supply chains, funding, and the overall state of the workforce. War, pandemics, wildfires, policy changes, and cultural clashes have become the norm. Due to globalization, events in one part of the world can profoundly impact another.

Lieberman offers strategic tips for companies to enhance organizational resilience.

• First, there’s a need to strengthen the infrastructure by addressing weaknesses in foundational structures.
• Second, diversification is key, whether in supplies, customers, or marketing channels, to avoid overreliance on a single source.
• Third, fostering an environment of respect and lifelong learning is crucial, both within the organization and among employees.
• Building strong leaders, through leadership development opportunities focusing on soft skills like empathy and stress management, contributes to overall resilience in individuals, leaders, and the company.

The Benefits of Building Resilience

The benefits of building resilience extend beyond weathering the storms of life and the business world. For individual employees, increased resilience leads to enhanced job satisfaction, improved self-esteem, and increased engagement, all of which improve retention. Resilient employees reframe challenges as lessons, foster better communication, and support innovation by embracing the idea of failure as part of learning and development and taking well-informed risks.

For managers and executives looking to boost resilience in the workplace, several actionable tips can be employed. Setting a positive example, offering resilience training, understanding employees’ needs, acknowledging failures, incentivizing volunteering, and providing stress relief opportunities all contribute to building a resilient team.

As suggested by the Mayo Clinic, individual resilience involves building strong relationships, finding daily meaning, learning from the past, staying hopeful, practicing self-care, and taking action. However, resilience is not solely an individual trait; it thrives through connections and relationships. Interactions with others provide support, empathy, and a shift in perspective, enhancing resilience during challenging times.

In conclusion, resilience is a multifaceted concept crucial for individuals, leaders, and organizations in navigating today’s dynamic landscape. Recognizing its significance at both individual and organizational levels can pave the way for adaptability and robust responses to challenges. By fostering resilience, businesses can not only weather uncertainties but also thrive in the face of adversity.

At Know Your Talents we are proud to offer resources and training that help build personal and team resilience. If that’s something you’re interested in learning more about, please click here.