The events of 2020 tested our understanding of what makes a great team. And a few traits have been recognised as being invaluable to leaders – resilience is one of them.
Resilience is a topic that had been gaining traction in leadership circles even before the Covid-19 outbreak. Once regarded as a desirable quality, the more it has been studied, the more we are coming to realise that resilience is a must-have characteristic, without which success will be much harder for your team to achieve.
The Covid-19 pandemic, of course, has been instrumental in resilience becoming one of the most talked-about leadership topics during the last year. But what has become apparent is that the pandemic has truly revealed how critical it is to develop our resilience muscle.
In 2021 and beyond, building resilience in your team needs to be at the heart of your leadership strategy.
Today, we look at the value of developing a resilient team and how to build resilience across your organisation.
Why 2021 is Going to Be the Year of Resilience
Resilience was recently hailed as the ‘word of the year’ by wellbeing writer and global CEO Arianna Huffington, in response to the Collins Dictionary word of the year being selected as ‘lockdown’.
Resilience is a topic that as a leader, is going to be on your radar in 2021, as industries, businesses and individuals aim to come to terms with the significant events of 2020.
A recent CDC report found that 41% of adults have struggled with their mental health as a result of the pandemic, with nearly eight in 10 adults stating that the pandemic has been a significant source of stress for them.
People now need the tools to overcome the problems that they are being faced with and learn how to carry on even when adversity strikes.
They can do this by learning and practising resilience.
How Can You Define Resilience in Your Team?
This year, your team will have undoubtedly faced significant challenges.
How did they deal with these problems – did they take it in their stride or struggle to cope?
If they coped, are you aware of how they managed this – was it down to their inner resilience or was it a battle to keep their heads above water?
Let us take a look at some of the critical factors of resilience; see how many you can recognise in your team.
Self-Knowledge – the ability to understand and predict how their actions affect others
Acceptance – the ability to be realistic about what they have control over and what they don’t
Learning how to plan and navigate a path through – the ability to make realistic plans and see them through
Self-regulation – being aware of one’s own physical and emotional state, being able to manage feelings and emotions easily
Improvisation skills – to be able to take control and manage a situation when it isn’t going to plan
Meaning and purpose – possessing a strong feeling of purpose, which underpins the drive to pursue and achieve goals
You might recognise some of these characteristics within your team, as they will all naturally have some aspects of resilience. Still, no-one is born as a naturally resilient individual.
The good news is that it can be learned so let’s explore how.
How to Build Resilience in Your Team
A great starting point is to remember and communicate with your team that, as one year ends and another start, they have achieved something remarkable – getting through the pandemic together.
The following are ways to enhance your team’s resilience so that they can bounce back from any challenge.
1. Encourage and Spread Positivity
This is such a simple but effective way to create a resilient team. The words that are spoken between your team have a lasting effect on their behaviour – and positivity is vital for resilience.
Many leaders underestimate the effects their words and actions have on their team. When you demonstrate positivity, this will permeate through your team. One thing that teams with a negative attitude always have in common is a negative leader. Try to notice when you have a negative thought, and turn it around instead. If your team come to you with a problem or you hear them complaining, always seek to offer the positive side to the situation.
2. Realistic Goal Setting
Goal setting should be at the heart of your L&D plan for your team, but to encourage resilience through goal setting, consider revising your team’s targets.
Setting smaller, more achievable goals over a shorter time frame is great for boosting self-confidence and creating a sense of optimism.
3. Give Positive Feedback
As a leader, it can be easy to expect great results from your team and assume that your team know that you are proud to share in their successes, but it is essential to remember that positive feedback should never go without saying.
Give positive feedback regularly to remind and encourage your team of their strengths, as this will foster belief and resilience in them.
Finally
Could your team benefit from learning and practising resilience? We offer a range of training and development courses which increase resilience within your team – click here for more information and to view our programmes.
You can also contact us here to talk to us about your training needs and how we can help develop your team in 2021.
Until next time,
Julia
About Zestfor
Zestfor specialises in developing Training programmes and resources scientifically tailored for technical markets – including Pharmaceutical, IT, and Life Sciences.
Our blend of in-classroom, online, and virtual live-stream delivery methods will engage and assure even the most introverted team members from the first meeting – whether face-to-face or virtually. To have a brief chat, call us on 0845 548 0833. Alternatively, please email our team here.
