Maybe Resilience IS the Answer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resilience is another buzz word, among others, in the world of work at the moment. But, maybe it’s the answer and it’s not just about being able to cope, it’s about being positive, flexible, independent and being able to solve problems and socialise. Resilience is, the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity. It’s the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.’ Or the ability to rebound.

When dealing with staff as Managers (and staff dealing with other staff) we deal with;

• Conflict
• Grievances
• Difficult personalities
• Bullying
• Mental Health issues
• Drug & Alcohol abuse
• Performance issues
• Terminations
• Redundancies
• Stress
• Jobs Change
• Preparing and Managing them for various business changes
• And then, of course, the impact of their personal lives on their work
• And I’m sure you can keep adding to the list

But what if staff were more resilient? How we interpret what is happening can affect how we solve problems, how we feel about what is happening and how we operate in that environment. If staff were more resilient, they could brush off things that would otherwise affect them or as they say “bounce back” quicker. Conflict, grievances, bullying, stress would be decreased and performance issues, impacts from terminations, redundancies, job changes and other changes in the business would be easier. Well maybe that’s too ideal but it’s certainly better for employees to be resilient than not and would go a long way to positively contributing to maximising performance and productivity – as change is not only happening in our workplaces but also in society constantly. In fact, my readings indicated that resilience can improve an individual’s performance by up to 25%, so think about the impact on the total business if everybody’s resilience was improved!

Not that I condone bullying but if staff were more resilient, the bully could better deal with whatever causes them to be a bully in the first place and the victim can better cope with the behaviour thrown at them and bounce back. Once again in this example, compliance measures such as providing training and a healthy and safe workplace is great (and there are plenty of benefits to be derived from that) but even more benefits are generated from also having resilient employees who are able to bounce back quickly from these difficulties. So, maybe resilience is the answer. What do you think?

Building resilient employees is just another way at HR Business Direction that we get to help our clients get an ROI from their people and creating working environments that support and prevent mental health, allowance us to make a true difference in society – for businesses and individuals.   R U OK? Don’t forget strong leaders will ensure the organisation is resilient as well and able to cope and bounce back.

At HR Business Direction we can help you build a more resilient workforce.   Contact us here for more information.

Leisa Messer BBus(HRM); GradDipIR; CAHRI; IRSQ
Managing Director | HR Strategist
leisa.messer@hrbd.com.au
07 3890 2066
www.hrbd.com.au