Is resilience the answer to your workplace woes?

Wednesday October 7, 2020

Australia is going through one of the most challenging periods we can remember. Between the fires that ravaged our nation and the pandemic that has held the entire world in its clutches, there’s no doubt life as we know it has changed. Learning to adapt and face adversity; in other words, developing resilience, is a skill we can all benefit from.

What is resilience?

Resilience is our ability to cope and adapt to life’s challenges; our ability to face adversity in its various forms and come out the other side. While resilience in general benefits everyone, employees who can roll with the punches will feel more connected as a team and will cope better with the changing face of the workplace.

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, said: “The only constant in life is change.”

We don’t know when things will settle down. In fact, they may continue to challenge us for some time to come. So employers need to find ways to help themselves and their employees embrace change, find the positives and then focus on that.

How do you help your team build resilience?

There’s no doubt workplaces offer people routine, social connection and financial stability. The new ways of working, whether it’s in lockdown, a hybrid model or a shift model, can hinder the feeling of social connection and stability people rely on.

While there are many things about our current situation we cannot change, there are some things we can, such as how we respond to it. Helping employees focus on what they can do, rather than what they can’t, can have a positive outcome for them and your business.

To help your employees build their resilience, start by asking them what they might need in order to help them work well during this challenging time. Consider things such as routines, socialising, communication systems and staff engagement. Once these needs have been identified, ask your team to help you find ways to realistically support those requirements. Giving team members responsibilities for some of the solutions will help ensure they have buy-in on any changes made.

Place additional focus on your managers and supervisors, if you have them. They are responsible for supporting and looking after their team members while needing to cope with their own anxieties and fears.

Keep communication lines open by regularly checking in with both managers and employees to see how they are coping. If they aren’t, look at what you can realistically do to support them, such as time off, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or other solution.

Remember, some employees may need more help than others.

Resilience training can help your organisation adapt better to change. We are here to support all your HR needs. If you need any assistance with people management and support or would like to prepare a strategy for helping to improve the resilience of your employees, give the HR Dept a call.

Preventing People Problems

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