Resilience

We have found - and research shows - that resilient people respond differently to crisis and adversity then less resilient.  In six different domains:

Less resilient people do not adopt this mind set.  One of the hallmarks of a less resilient response is short term “re-act-ions”.  (Reactions cause us to re-act the event over and over).  As a result, people who do not have a “Resilience Compass”(C) to guide them in troubled times often suffer.  For example, they tend to: stay in a slump longer, suffer more, choose solutions which will bite them back further down the track, alienate others, lose sight of their long-term goals.

In our workshops we fully explore what it means to be resilient and equip our participants with the skills to overcome  adversity.   They leave with a full understanding of the “Resilience Compass” (C) and how to ‘live’ it so they can have happier and more productive lives.

Based on research and lots of practice we have developed the “Resilience Compass“ (C) a guide to thriving even when the going is tough. Using the compass we can teach your staff the skills of resilience and help you build an organisation that overcomes adversity.

More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the cancer ward, it’s true in the Olympics and it’s true in the boardroom.
– Harvard Business Review May 2002

People and organisations are great because of adversity – not despite it – but only if they are resilient enough to grow.

Remember DEC computers, Ansett and the milkman? What happened to them? What about a time when apples were things you ate, accountancy was about balancing the books, IBM built computers and people stayed in their jobs for longer than two years?

IBM is now a service company, Apple is the most successful portable music company on the planet and accountancy is much more than managing the financials.

And it’s not just organisations that have morphed – look at Jeff Kennett and Malcolm Fraser. Both had ignoble falls from high office and yet continue to play a vital, vibrant role in public and contribute to society.

What sets the ‘stayers’ apart from the ‘layers’ is a capacity to persevere in the face of adversity. Morgan Stanley investment bank was able to continue its operations almost without missing a beat after 9/11. Stuart Diver has re-married after spending days trapped under rubble at Thredbo. Resilience got them through.

But resilience is not important for your business and you just so you can survive. It’s important because resilience is what makes people and organisations great. Think about it – the most important lessons you have learned will be in response to some challenge you faced and overcame.

Redundancy leads to a re-assessment and a new life direction, a new competitor forces you to streamline your processes, a bitter divorce leads you to a new partner and happier relationship, the internet exposes your company to new online marketing so you get online and reach a larger customer base – if you are resilient. Adversity disrupts your usual way of doing things, breaks old patterns and allows the opportunity for innovation. It’s a bit like a crack in the pavement which allows plants to grow through.

In setting your goals and objectives – personally or professionally – your number one priority should be to build your resilience, because this skill alone will allow you to learn and adapt.

Resilient organisations and people enjoy many advantages: higher levels of engagement, better health, improved morale, less stress. For a business, higher engagement alone translates to increased profitability (up 44%), productivity (up 50%) and customer loyalty (up 50%). Absenteeism is also lower, as is staff turnover (an engaged employee is 86% less likely to leave) and innovation is up.

It is not the strongest of the species who survive, not the most intelligent, but those who are the most adaptive to change. – Charles Darwin

The good thing is that resilience can be learnt and we love to teach it. Through trial and error we have developed the “Resilience Compass” (C) and now teach it to executive and staff alike. Contact us if you would like to build a workforce that handles stress, is adaptable to change and bounces back.