Resilience Practice at Work

Now, more than ever there is need to develop resilience in the workplace.  With jobs becoming transient, career-paths creative, and employees on the move, workplaces are less predictable than ever.  Today’s manager may become tomorrow’s competitor.  Today’s contract may become tomorrow’s liability.

Building blocks of resilience are essential to have the ability to bounce back from setbacks.  Some of these may seem counterintuitive to success in the workplace and yet they are exactly what you want to practice to raise your resilience level.
Paula Davis-Laack, founder of Davis-Laack Stress & Resilience Institute lists 7 things resilient employees do differently:

1. Connections: develop high quality relationships at work.
   Dr. Jane Dutton, Business and Psychology Professor, suggests how to connect:
   a) Effective listening, and engaging
   b) Guiding, recognizing and supporting others to help them succeed.
   c) Building trust, and letting others follow through.
   d) Playing, creating and innovating.
2. Self-Care: Watch out for the slow drip of loss of energy, enthusiasm, and self-confidence due to stress.  Invest in self-care and recharge on a daily basis.
3. Authenticity: Be your true self, not who you think others want you to be.  If you try to be perfect or fit a mold, you will be exhausted and lose self-respect.  It takes less effort to be yourself and you will like yourself more.
4. Grit: Find your passion and persevere on your long term goals, despite hurdles.
5. Meaning: Know your purpose at work and what brings value to what you do.  Know the ‘why’ not just the ‘how’.  This is important especially during low times.
6. Flexibility: When things don’t go your way, pause, notice your reactions, and identify what you have control or influence over and how you can adapt to change.
7. Engagement: Anticipate and manage risks, stay involved during times of stress.

Were you able to check off any of the above?  Kudos to you; that is what gives you bounce.  Were there any red flags?  Did you notice what you tend to do under stress that makes you inelastic?  If you disengage, isolate, burn the candle at both ends, take a rigid stand, lose sight of value, take yourself too seriously, or go into a fog, here are tools to turn it around. Start getting your bounce back. What will be you first building block of resilience?