We all face difficult times in our careers and in our personal lives; job loss, divorce, time pressures, trauma, financial stressors, health and family issues, feeling overwhelmed or unappreciated; the challenge is how to get back up and how to forge ahead in spite of adversity. We demonstrate some resiliency each and every day because there’s never a day where we don't encounter some amount of challenge. In this issue, we’ll share some tips to help you become more resilient and how to implement these strategies into your personal and professional life.
Resiliency is the capacity to absorb high levels of change while maintaining a level of performance and displaying minimal dysfunctional behavior.
People who are resilient do two things to reduce their susceptibility to dysfunctional behavior during change: They increase their capacity to absorb shock, and they reduce the amount of effort necessary to successfully implement any one change.
What is Resiliency?
Resilience isn’t an absolute characteristic; rather it is a combination of traits of varying degrees in people. Resilient people, whom psychologist Daryl Conner terms O-Type, perceive more opportunity than non-resilient people do. They approach life as meaningful, and as a guiding beacon through the challenges of change. Their optimistic view lets them see each new day as providing a new set of opportunities and choices; they view disruption as a necessary part of adjusting to the challenges of change.
In contrast to O-Type individuals, D-Types perceive danger; they are individuals who use defense mechanisms such as denial, distortion, and delusions to deflect change, and are reactive. The opposite O-Type individuals are proactive and understand when to ask for help.
"Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many
times I fell down and got back up again."
– Nelson Mandela
Why is It Important?
When resilient people are confronted with ambiguity, anxiety, and a loss of control that accompanies change, they tend to grow stronger from the experiences, rather than allowing themselves to be depleted. Resilient people are more likely to make a quicker and more effective adaptation to change. They are winners; critically important in organizations. Resilient people are necessary to foster success during a change.
While no person is specifically O-Type or D-Type, people with O-Type characteristics tend to exhibit a high degree of resilience. This allows them to understand that the future contains constantly shifting variables, display willingness to explore paradoxes, and stay the course during periods of significant disruption.
People shift between sides on a resilience continuum, depending upon the characteristics being exhibited, and the change being experienced.
Five Easy Steps
One can practice behaviors and steps to become more resilient. Below are some steps individuals can take to foster resilience.
1. Develop a more positive world view and self-concept- Notice what you say to yourself in an unfamiliar situation.
- Find specific opportunities during challenges you face.
- Practice turning minuses into pluses.
- Take a time out during a period of frustration.
- Look for a positive person to serve as your coach.
2. Maintain a focused sense of purpose for long-term goals and priorities- Explore your value system and identify your personal sense of direction on which you can rely to make choices.
- Set new priorities when faced with the disruption of change.
3. Use flexible thinking to explore multiple approaches for addressing uncertainty. - Switch sides when discussing a topic about which you feel strongly.
- Rather than assuming your first answer is the solution, suspend judgment if you are in the middle of a change.
- List three positives and three negatives about a new idea or concept.
- Be willing to work in an unfamiliar role to learn a different point of view.
- Identify a person who is a strong flexible thinker and ask for some coaching.
4. Use organized, structured approaches when managing ambiguity- Learn to quickly sort information and find patterns in new situations.
- Use a planner or planning software to keep to-do lists, track plans, commitments, and next steps for each change initiative.
- Break down complex or ambiguous situations into manageable chunks.
- Find a coach who has strong organizational skills.
5. Experiment proactively with new approaches and solutions- Choose a small project and experiment with a new approach.
- For a challenge you face, define the worst-case scenario; list how you would address each risk.
- Find someone you perceive as a successful risk-taker and discuss your objections and concerns about a change.
- Try to view a risk associated with a change you are facing as a “win-win” situation; determine what you can learn by assuming the risk.
- Find a coach who excels at proactive experimentation.
It takes time to build your resiliency muscles, and work through a difficult situation. Trust yourself that you are capable of getting back up and going again.
