Becoming Resilient in Times of Adversity
04/26/10
By Elizabeth C. Warrick
Our organizations, our state, and our nation have been through a shock, and even though there is now talk of recovery, most believe the process won’t be fast or easy. In all likelihood, we won’t be bouncing back to how things used to be but instead inching towards a new reality. One key to a successful recovery will be our ability to become resilient as people and as organizations.
But what exactly is resiliency? And how can we develop it in ourselves and our teams? My own questions about resiliency led me to a number of journal articles and other resources. What I discovered is that some researchers believe resiliency is a natural and innate capacity we all have. Moreover, some concur that resilience is not just a mind-set but evolution, adaptation, or growth in response to changing conditions.
Research shows that the attributes and skills of resilient individuals include optimism, ability to control emotions, understanding the impact of beliefs on behavior, ability to manage unhelpful thinking patterns, and ability to effectively manage stress levels.
Our organizations, our state, and our nation have been through a shock, and even though there is now talk of recovery, most believe the process won’t be fast or easy. In all likelihood, we won’t be bouncing back to how things used to be but instead inching towards a new reality. One key to a successful recovery will be our ability to become resilient as people and as organizations.
But what exactly is resiliency? And how can we develop it in ourselves and our teams? My own questions about resiliency led me to a number of journal articles and other resources. What I discovered is that some researchers believe resiliency is a natural and innate capacity we all have. Moreover, some concur that resilience is not just a mind-set but evolution, adaptation, or growth in response to changing conditions.
Research shows that the attributes and skills of resilient individuals include optimism, ability to control emotions, understanding the impact of beliefs on behavior, ability to manage unhelpful thinking patterns, and ability to effectively manage stress levels.
DEVELOPING RESILIENCE IN YOURSELF
Developing resilience is possible, whether in yourself, your staff members, or your organization. Starting with yourself makes sense, and the following suggestions may help put you on the path to resilience.
Seek perspective, accept change, and move forward.
As suggested by Mary Lynn Pulley and Michael Wakefield in Building Resiliency: How to Thrive in Times of Change, one key is to “get an accurate picture of yourself and an accurate picture of your environment.” Denial or resistance can work in the short term, but in the long term individuals who can’t or won’t accept change are either left behind or paralyzed. Self-reflection, journaling, observation, and talking with others can help you with acceptance and moving forward.Instead of asking questions about how this happened, trying to change the past, or obsessing about the future, focus on the here and now. As Glenn E. Mangurian wrote in regard to a traumatic experience in his life, “I came to realize it’s fruitless to wish you could change the past, and it’s overwhelming to obsess about the future.” Focusing on the future will come when you are comfortable with the present.
Attend to your self-identity; find your sense of purpose.
Personally, I’ve had to grapple with a shift in my identity from a leader who develops new programs to one that reassesses, streamlines, and—in some cases—discontinues programs. Pulley and Wakefield advise that “a clear sense of purpose helps you to see setbacks from a broader perspective” and suggest the following.
- Determine your most important value. How do you demonstrate that value in what you do at and away from work?
- Consider how you can express who you are in different ways. How can you continue to demonstrate parts of yourself (for instance, the builder or developer) outside of work?
- Think about the roles or experiences you’d like to have in your professional life. How do those compare with your current work? What changes could you make to bring your work more in line with the things you want to do?
This may or may not mean going back to school or attending training, but the point is trying new approaches, being open to new skills, and adapting your behavior. According to Pulley and Wakefield, “many managers resist learning new ways, even when it’s obvious that the old ways don’t work anymore.” You can improve your ability to learn new skills, or you can apply existing skills in new ways as you evolve. Some points to consider:
- Be patient. Pulley and Wakefield explain that “learning almost always causes a drop in performance before improvement takes place.” Even though you may not feel as if you have adequate time or capacity, you should weigh the long-term value of learning new things against the short-term disadvantages.
- Spend time each day thinking about learning. Jot down a new data point that was useful, an idea that worked, or an insight you gained. During your commute home, think about a past professional success and how you might apply what you learned then to your current situation.
- Take inventory. Think about skills and personal attributes that you use in hobbies and activities outside of work—at home, in the community, even in the gym. How else could you put them to use?
In tough times, we may default to making things easier for ourselves, which in turn may mean lowering expectations for our teams (that way, we don’t have to do the hard work of addressing issues). While we don’t want to set unrealistic expectations that could lead to failure, high expectations can help us focus on what we can accomplish and keep us from dwelling on what we’ve lost. A good challenge can engage us and help us move forward.
DEVELOPING RESILIENCE IN OTHERS AND YOUR ORGANIZATION
Your own resilience may impact your organization’s ability to recover and evolve as a result of change. Indeed, there is evidence that a leader’s capacity for and demonstration of resilience can influence the resilience, and therefore the performance, of individuals on their team (Harland, et al.; Norman, et al.). Leaders can also structure opportunities to help individuals come together and demonstrate their collective resilience, resulting in increased organizational resilience. The following approaches, adapted from Wilson and Ferch, are suggested.
- Create a “shared vision for a desired workplace culture.”
- Focus on strengths by telling stories of times when the organization and its members performed well and then asking questions about how this high level of performance was achieved (appreciative inquiry).
- Instead of avoiding conflict, develop ways to look at it as a learning experience, working through the conflict and learning both from the outcome and the process.
- Encourage an attitude of assuming positive intent. Assume that mistakes were made due to attempts to be helpful and contribute, rather than out of malice.
- Focus on making conscious choices. We sometimes find ourselves operating on autopilot, relying on past experiences to determine our present choices, but during times of change that may not be as effective. Invite and encourage discussion among your team regarding decisions and practices that are the best for the current situation.
- Pay attention to new behaviors; reward those that are in line with the necessary changes the organization must make.
- Share experiences, tell new stories, to reinforce new learning and achievements.
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Sources:
- Harland, Lynn, et al. “Leadership Behaviors and Subordinate Resilience.” Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies 11.2 (2005).
- Mangurian, Glenn E. “Realizing What You’re Made Of.” Harvard Business Review 85.3 (2007).
- Norman, Steve, Brett Luthans, and Kyle Luthans. “The Proposed Contagion Effect of Hopeful Leaders on the Resiliency of Employees and Organizations.” Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies 12.2 (2005).
- Pulley, Mary Lynn and Michael Wakefield. Building Resiliency: How to Thrive in Times of Change. Greensboro: Center for Creative Leadership, 2002.
- Wilson, Sandra M. and Shann R. Ferch. “Enhancing Resilience in the Workplace Through the Practice of Caring Relationships.” Organization Development Journal 23.4 (2005).
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