Resilience, or rather lack thereof, has increasingly become an easy target on which to blame all manner of employee issues. So theoretically, if we can just train our employees in how to be more resilient we should encounter less issues. If only it were that simple! Not only is this a problem in that it could mean you gloss over genuine complaints, but individual resilience is a highly subjective concept and often misinterpreted.
An article that expands well upon the complexities of resilience can be found here, which uses the following hypothetical as an example:
“Who is more resilient, the paramedic who faces trauma and does not experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or the paramedic who experiences PTSD but overcomes it?”
Suddenly it doesn’t feel quite so black and white!
While individual resilience takes many forms, it is commonly shaped by context. Examining the circumstances surrounding and supporting that resilience is what organizations will truly benefit from. Rather than focusing on changing individuals, focus on replicating the culture and environment that supports resilience. The article uses the work of Micahel Ungar (in this paper) to summarize the concept as individual resilience is helping people beat the odds, whereas organizational resilience works to change the odds.
A recent HBR article (find it here) provides a framework for where to start in building organizational resilience, including:
- Understanding that people prosper from success.
- People learn while observing others.
- Provide encouragement, support and mentoring.
- Provide all staff with basic training in managing personal stress.
Trying to control the resilience levels of every employee will likely only result in wasted time and money. Creating an organizational environment conducive to collective resilience is an investment that will ensure the people and the business have the support needed to survive and thrive.