The Cambridge English Dictionary defines resilience as “the quality of being able to return quickly to a previous good condition after problems”.
This simple description belies the challenge many individuals and enterprises are experiencing at a time of widespread uncertainty and in the face of multiple, self-compounding “problems”. But it provides a good starting point to reflect on what is necessary in order to reestablish a “previous good condition” and be able to rebound, despite the continuing presence of such problems.
Let’s take individuals first. One of the most important steps a person can take, in order to build resilience, is to recognize (usually unwanted) feelings of concern, helplessness and despair. Instead of trying to ignore them and hope they will go away – which normally just results in making them all the stronger – it is useful to take stock of the exact situation one is in at the moment. Just doing so will often enable a person to start reflecting on how to improve their situation or resolve or at least mitigate current problems. And clarifying what the situation is and the options for resolving it allows one to face fears (the monster you know is much less threatening than the monster you don’t know but fear) and in so doing reduce them.
Considering that fear is mostly the result of feeling unable to control a situation, person or event, once one can face it down, they can build resilience!
How does this apply to organizations?
In a crisis, organizations often get stuck in trying to address the current challenge which, although important, is not sufficient to return to a previous good condition! Here too, it is essential to clarify the exact situation of the company from several perspectives, in order to prioritize measures to be successful. In my experience, without a clear picture of the exact situation, an organization risks wasting precious resources chasing unreachable goals. And this is the exact opposite of resilience!
Resilience in an organization or a company can best be observed if its people identify with the purpose and strategic goals, culture and governance and have the means to decide flexibly and responsibly how to respond to challenges as they arise.
So how can you check your exact situation (which will give you an idea how resilient your company is)? One way is to engage expensive consultants to perform an audit. Another is to access the Straturity Human Capital Self-Assessment© and obtain rapid, clear results.
For more information (in German), we invite you to attend a (gratis) webinar on Monday, June 8th, at 14:00 CET. It would be our pleasure to welcome you there! Here is the link to register: https://lnkd.in/dvtQxQp
For information in English, let us know of your interest and we will provide all information. We look forward to hearing from you!
