How resilient are you as a leader, business and team?
How resilient is your organisation? Resilience means different things to different people, but it’s usually about our capacity to recover quickly from setbacks: to stretch beyond what we thought were our limits, and then spring back into shape.
However, for Corrine Thomas – JGA’s Coaching Lead and an expert on transformational change – there’s more to resilience than having the strength to ‘cope’. Resilience is also about being able to use adversity or a challenging transition as an opportunity for positive growth.
As she points out: ‘Resilience is about how we as individuals, leaders and teams find ways to get through and learn from the hard times. Resilience involves behaviours, thoughts and actions that anyone – and any business – can learn.
Building a culture of resilience
So how can your company build resilience to support your positive growth?
For Corrine, it starts with recognising that every organisation is made up of people who handle life’s pressures differently – and navigate change at varying speeds.
‘Everyone, regardless of level or role, experiences difficulties in life,’ she points out. ‘This can range from unexpected events that take us off track to more traumatic challenges such as job loss, serious illness, uncertainty in the economy or world events like the war in Ukraine.
‘Each change brings a tide of thoughts and strong emotions. Yet people generally adapt well over time to life-changing and stressful situations, due in part to resilience.’
Placing your people at the heart of what you do
Are values-driven organisations generally more resilient?
Corrine agrees that she would expect them to benefit from their inclination to put people at the heart of what they do – provided they bring that commitment to life.
‘By creating a supportive and trusting environment, tapping into the individual’s strengths and being there for them in difficult times, both the organisation and their people will thrive.’
At an organisational level, she highlights the importance of taking steps to maintain sound governance, with good financial control, robust processes and a clear strategy for managing risks in place.
‘This strong foundation will support the organisation to navigate, learn and grow when faced with difficult times,’ she says.
‘Resilience involves behaviours, thoughts and actions that anyone – and any business – can learn’
Corrine Thomas, Associate and Coaching Lead
Practical steps to strengthen resilience
So what should you do next? Corrine shares her practical tips.
If you are an organisation who wants to build a resilient culture:
Place your people at the heart of your organisation to create a culture where everyone feels trusted, valued and understands how their contribution connects to your purpose and goals.
Prepare yourself by focusing on agility, so you can confidently adapt to challenges and changes in the business environment.
Invest in learning and innovating for the future, to support your ability to ‘flex’ to the demands of your sector and nurture sustainable growth.
If you are a leader who wants to foster resilience in your team:
Create an environment where each member understands the purpose and values of your organisation and the behaviours required to bring these to life.
Set clear goals that are meaningful to each person so they understand how they are contributing to meeting your organisation’s strategic aims.
Spend time as a team, face to face or virtually, to foster an environment where each person feels a sense of belonging and connection to your organisation and team.
If you are an individual who wants to nurture your own personal resilience:
Notice what is going on in your thinking at difficult times, because this can impact how you feel. Identify when you might, for example, be getting things out of proportion or blaming others when things go ‘wrong’.
Acknowledge those negative thought patterns – practice reframing them into something more useful.
Explore your strengths: what are you good at? Tap into those strengths wherever possible, and particularly during hard times.
‘By creating a supportive and trusting environment, tapping into the individual’s strengths and being there for them in difficult times, both the organisation and their people will thrive’
Corrine Thomas, Associate and Coaching Lead
The right support at the right time
Strengthening your organisation’s resilience won’t happen overnight. It needs thought, time and (when useful) experienced professional support to help embed the mindset and behaviours required for positive growth.
At JGA, we support businesses, leaders and teams to strengthen their resilience at both an individual and organisational level. Our expert transition, people and governance services include accredited professional coaching, leadership development and board development support.
To find out more, please get in touch.