“It is not enough for a leader to be resilient. Their teams should be more resilient as well. It is a continuous process that requires team participation.”- Coach Anda
The workplace has changed in ways we could never have imagined and, at a rate, we could never have predicted. Leaders have had difficulty getting used to the new world of work. They are expected to lead their teams to be more flexible and motivated, avoid burnout, and stay focused on reaching their goals.
Building resilience in the workplace should be at the top of any business leader’s to-do list if they want their company to thrive in these uncertain times. This additional challenge should prompt them to make this decision.
During the pandemic, I’ve been helping many leaders build and become resilient, but I’ve also helped their teams become resilient by assisting them to be more solutions focused.
What is a resilient team?
A resilient team is a group of individuals ready to face current and future challenges. They can recover from setbacks quickly.
They can focus on solutions and not get stuck in the sea of change, complexity, and challenges. They’re able to embrace it and work with it.
Resilient teams are comfortable with complexity. They have that growth mindset and that openness to change. They have that agility mindset and are prepared for any change.
It’s also a team used to working together, not as an individual, to solve problems because sometimes people focus on solving the problem independently.
They understand their strengths, as well as their inner toolbox and how to use it.
Looking at the team, you will most likely notice success patterns or factors that have contributed to the team’s success.
How does a resilient team approach problems or challenges?
When something is complex, you feel overwhelmed, anxious, and worried. You can’t see other solutions to the problem because the block can sometimes be very mental and emotional.
A resilient team can recognize and set aside these emotions. They can pause to assess the situation. They will brainstorm and find solutions, comprehend the situation, the environment, how they are, or what they must deliver as a team.
Resilient teams make use of or maximize team power. People don’t always realize that using the power of individuals can help you create more solutions or be more creative because it uses each other’s strengths. You can even address all the different areas you require if you know how to use it and make it complementary.
Consider a group of five people. Allowing people to speak and share their ideas can result in five distinct solutions.
Trust in one another is an essential component of a resilient team. There must also be psychological safety. Team members must be able to express their difficulties, concerns, and feelings in a safe environment.
When you can communicate your thoughts and feelings more freely with your teammates, they will better understand what you are going through and how they can best support you. There is no need to pass judgment; listening and maintaining an open mind are all required.
How does a resilient team deal with failure?
Failures are seen as opportunities for growth by resilient teams. So, they do the opposite instead of avoiding it or avoiding it. They talk about it. They consider how they can do things differently the next time. They also investigate and try to determine what factors contributed to this.
Resilient teams are not afraid of failure but are more prepared to face it and view it positively.
Also, people fail people, but failures help you grow as a team. So that mindset of welcoming failures and being comfortable with them is an opportunity to grow.
How can leaders help their people be resilient as a team?
As a leader, if you can get your people to talk about their problems and discuss them without dismissing or passing judgment, you can help them see what’s important and what they need. You can go through the process with them if they are having difficulty and help them see things from a different angle.
Over time, people learn how to behave. The leader can help the team by assisting them in learning to act in these ways. It can be included in meetings and everyday conversations.
When problems arise, it is critical to use caution and avoid blaming because members look up to their leader. You may discuss what contributed to the problem, but you may not point fingers.
The leader makes a conscious effort to look within himself, whether it be to find solutions or to find support from each other or avoid isolating certain people, and possibly avoid panicking, becoming overwhelmed, or becoming stuck. The leader is responsible for instilling these behaviors in their followers.
If you see the leader doing that and reiterating what he wants from the team; if he can define what a resilient team is, talk about it, build those behaviors, measure them even and make sure that it happens, then over time, you get to build that resilient team.
The role of the leader is to have a helicopter perspective. They look at how the team is functioning and where they are regarding their level of resilience. It is necessary because different people go through different experiences. It is essential to support both individual members of the team and the team as a whole.
How does the leader ensure that the team continues to exhibit a high level of resilience even when things go wrong?
It is crucial to be intentional every day. It’s looking at how your team solves or copes with challenges, how they behave or respond as a team or as individuals, and assisting them in seeing it, such as pointing it out, providing feedback, finding solutions, and improving.
Resilience is a muscle that must be exercised. Over time, you develop a particular mindset or behavior. It’s similar to muscle memory. When things get tough, you’ll know what to do.
The leader must always be aware of where everyone is, ensure that everyone is resilient, and set goals.
There should be a way of measuring resilience. The leader can assess, but the team members just as well. It cannot always be the leader’s work. The team must also evaluate its performance. As a result, it is critical first to define what a resilient team looks like and how it relates to your long-term goals.