In a world where change is the only constant, organizations are awakening to the undeniable truth – resilience is the secret weapon for survival and success. But what exactly does resilience mean in a team context? It’s more than just bouncing back from setbacks; it’s about harnessing individual and collective strengths, adapting to challenges, and rebounding to higher levels of success. When organizations support leaders and team members in enhancing their resilience, it fortifies their overall well-being and drives innovative strategies to solve problems and make good decisions.

What is resilience?

Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.

– American Psychological Association

Resilience involves various components and strategies that are present in everyone to varying degrees. Unlike personality styles, our individual resilience can be improved and strengthened by practicing skills and behaviors that enhance our ability to adapt positively to pressure, setbacks, challenges, and change to optimize performance. Understanding how we are resilient, and how we can adapt to changes, will help us navigate future experiences more effectively and successfully.

The resilience edge

Resilience in teams has emerged as a vital competitive edge for organizations – from enhanced problem-solving capabilities to increased productivity and sustainable growth, building resilience in teams offers organizations significant benefits.

Adaptability: resilient people can adapt quickly and effectively to changing circumstances, allowing them to navigate unexpected challenges and seize new opportunities.

Better decision-making: resilient teams are composed of individuals who can think critically to solve problems and make informed decisions under pressure. They are skilled at weighing risks and benefits, resulting in more effective and timely decision-making.

Improved problem-solving: resilient teams possess a problem-solving mindset, enabling them to creatively address obstacles and find innovative solutions. They thrive in complex situations and can overcome hurdles with confidence.

Enhanced collaboration: resilience fosters a sense of unity and cooperation within teams. By encouraging open communication and trust, resilient teams can collaborate seamlessly, leveraging diverse perspectives and skills to achieve common goals.

Increased productivity: when teams develop resilience, they are less likely to be derailed by setbacks. They maintain focus, motivation, and productivity even in the face of adversity, ensuring that projects stay on track and deadlines are met.

Higher employee engagement: resilient teams create an environment that promotes engagement and employee satisfaction. Through supportive relationships offering support and recognizing individual contributions, team members feel valued and empowered, leading to higher levels of commitment and loyalty.

Sustainable growth: building physical and psychological resilience within teams sets the stage for sustainable growth and long-term success. By weathering challenges and learning from failures, teams can continuously improve and evolve, positioning the organization for future achievements.

What are the components of resilience?

To help organizations lay the foundation for building high-performing teams, 8 key components of resilience have been identified that hold the power to transform your business performance.

Based on a Resilience Questionnaire™ developed by Talogy, there are 8 validated components of resilience that we leverage within our raising organizational resilience workshop. Incorporating these components into your team’s culture and mindset, implementing improvement strategies, and following an actionable plan, will build the necessary skills to function as a high-performing team.

By providing a supportive framework for leaders and team members, organizations can arm their workforce with the tools necessary to be more adaptable, flexible, and optimistic when facing challenges, which will increase overall resilience and strengthen their ability to succeed in any situation.

Strategies to build resilience

	Increase Emotion Regulation
High-performing teams can remain calm and control their emotions in stressful situations even during difficult times. Teams that manage their emotions well feel more connected to each other and can handle workplace and financial stressors in a healthier way.	Encourage open communication. Create a culture where team members can express their emotions and concerns openly. Provide resources for emotional resilience and well-being. Offer access to mindfulness training, workshops on managing stress, and support services. Foster a positive work environment. Encourage team members to celebrate successes, practice gratitude, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
	Increase Support Seeking
It’s not easy for everyone to seek support, but knowing when and being willing to ask others for help is critical to team success. High-performing teams can seek input from others to deal with problems more effectively.	Promote collaboration. Encourage team members to seek help from one another and emphasize the importance of teamwork. Establish mentorship programs. Pair experienced team members with newer ones, providing a supportive environment for learning and growth. Implement regular check-ins. Conduct one-on-one meetings to provide support, address challenges, and offer guidance.
	Increase Optimism
Embracing positive psychology and having a healthy level of optimism translates to the belief you will experience positive outcomes in life and reflects the way in which one reframes the setbacks they experience. Optimistic teams exhibit a positive outlook and are more inclined to overcome adverse situations. Cognitive flexibility and a problem-solving mindset help in developing optimistic thinking.	Encourage positive thinking to promote resilience. Celebrate progress and milestones, focusing on strengths rather than dwelling on negative thoughts and failures. Practice reframing. Help team members see setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning. Build resilience narratives. Share stories of individuals or teams who overcame challenges, highlighting the power of optimism and perseverance in a resilient person.
	Increase Self Belief
Individuals who believe in their abilities can better address problems, withstand criticism, rejection, and failure, and overcome obstacles. High-performing teams that demonstrate self-belief possess confidence, are not afraid to take calculated risks, and are more inclined to persist with tasks.	Recognize achievements. Acknowledge individual and team accomplishments to boost confidence and self-belief. Encourage risk-taking. Foster an atmosphere that empowers team members to confidently embrace calculated risks and explore innovative strategies. Provide constructive feedback. Offer feedback that focuses on strengths and highlights how employees have overcome challenges in the past to help build individual and team self-confidence.
	Increase Challenge Orientation
Challenge-oriented teams embrace obstacles and perceive adverse situations as opportunities to learn and improve. They embrace new learning experiences and view personal challenges as an essential element to their growth and development.	Set stretch goals. Encourage team members to tackle ambitious projects that push their boundaries and inspire growth. Promote a growth mindset in facing life’s challenges. Emphasize that challenges are opportunities for growth and development and that everyone can learn and progress. Celebrate resilience and effort. Recognize team members who embrace challenges and demonstrate perseverance when facing obstacles.
	Increase Adaptability
The willingness to adapt behaviors and approaches in response to changing and difficult circumstances. High-performing teams demonstrate agility and flexibility to respond quickly to challenges and opportunities. The ability to adapt requires a willingness to accept change, as well as the self-awareness needed to navigate new situations.	Foster a learning culture. Encourage continuous learning and development through training programs, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions. Emphasize flexibility. Encourage team members to embrace change, adapt to new situations, and find innovative solutions. Provide resources for skill development. Support team members in acquiring new skills that are essential for adapting to evolving business needs.
	Increase Purposeful Direction
High-performing teams have clearly defined goals, direction, and purpose. Clarity around goals and desired outcomes, aligns team members towards achieving a shared vision, providing a sense of direction and motivation even when obstacles arise.	Establish a clear team vision. Define a compelling purpose that aligns with the organization’s goals and values. Communicate objectives. Ensure team members understand the importance of their individual contributions within the larger context. Foster a sense of meaning. Connect the team’s work to a greater purpose and emphasize the positive impact they have on others.
	Increase Ingenuity
Involves thinking beyond the visible and making new discoveries. Creative thinking skills are essential for teams to be willing to use alternative approaches to solve problems and come up with innovative solutions to problems they encounter.	Encourage creativity and innovation. Foster an environment where new ideas are welcomed, and diverse perspectives are valued. Support experimentation. Allow team members the freedom to test new approaches and learn from both successes and failures. Provide resources for ideation. Offer brainstorming sessions, design thinking workshops, or access to innovation tools and technologies.

Resilience is fundamental to creating high-performing teams capable of mastering life’s greatest challenges and thriving in uncertain environments. By identifying your team’s areas of strength and development, you can develop strategies to build resilience and become more agile, adaptable, and creative. Resilience is not a fixed trait that is ‘hard-wired’ in us; it’s a way of thinking. With support and practice, we can strengthen our thinking patterns, preferences, and behaviors to increase our resilience. Remember that building resilience is an ongoing process that requires commitment and a collective effort from team members and leaders alike.

How to develop a resilience implementation plan

Assess team resilience: conduct a resilience assessment survey to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement at an individual and collective level.

Develop a resilience roadmap: based on the assessment, create a plan outlining specific actions to address each component of resilience.

Provide training and resources: offer workshops, training sessions, and resources to help team members develop the necessary skills and resilient mindset to strengthen their resilience.

Encourage peer support: establish buddy systems, peer mentoring, or support groups to foster a network of support within the team.

Regularly review progress: conduct periodic check-ins to evaluate progress, adjust as needed, and celebrate achievements.

Continuously learn and adapt: stay updated on the latest research, best practices, and tools related to resilience-building and incorporate them into team practices.

A final thought

Over the last few years, unforeseen crises have dramatically transformed the business landscape, giving organizations a unique chance to bolster their commitment to learning and growth. Through strategic investments in programs that promote organizational resilience, businesses can cultivate high-performing teams that are well-equipped to conquer future business challenges and reach higher levels of success.

Optimus SBR’s Learning & Development Practice

At Optimus SBR, we know first-hand that building high preforming teams is about attracting, retaining, developing, and engaging top talent. We partner with clients to create scalable, targeted, experiential learning programs that enhance employee engagement, resilience, team collaboration, communication, and team performance.

If you’re a leader looking to build a resilience strategy for your organization or team, please feel free to connect and learn more about how you can partner with us.

Giselle Kovary, Head of Learning & Development Practice
learning@optimussbr.com