Resiliency is the Key to Emerging Stronger

UNLOCKING THE NEW NORMAL

Just when you and your team got used to the WFH (Work-from-Home) life, you are being asked to pivot, once again. Whether it will happen next month, or at the end of the year, many of us are being told to reopen offices and invite our teams back inside. Now is the time to start having conversations about moving forward.

Uncertainty and anxiety continue as organizations roll out plans for re-entry.

As leaders, we must recognize that this is not a time for “business as usual.” Leaders need to model behavior that will enable a culture reset, in a resilient and sustainable way. One thing is certain, the transition will be smoother, if you are able to prepare your team for the changes. The focus should be on building solid resiliency habits, both for individuals, and for the entire organization.

5 WAYS TO PREPARE FOR WHAT'S AHEAD

Start the conversation

Now is the time to start talking about the psychological benefits of having gone through the pandemic. Let go of what was. It is time to reset, re-enter and re-engage. According to UK-based Mindfulness and Positive Psychology expert, Susanne Lurger, “Leaders, more than ever before, are being asked to cultivate their focus and listen. Together with their teams, leaders will need to define the vision for the future.”

Make Modifications

As leaders, we seek productivity and creativity from our teams. We may have had a routine that worked well before, but the pandemic forced us to change habits and practices. It is a time to evaluate those modifications, and keep the ones that are working. This is an opportunity -- a chance to let go of an outdated structure. The thoughts and systems that have held us in place as leaders have been revamped.

Incorporate Forward-Thinking Culture

Help your teams re-enter the physical workspace by fostering collaboration. Remember that your team has been autonomous for more than a year and has created their own “micro-culture” at home. Embrace and create metrics for collaborative work, which is more protective of people and their new work habits.

Discuss Wellbeing

Susanne Lurger encourages leaders to have an open dialogue. “As a role model it will also be critical to demonstrate for your teams, how you manage yourself in a resilient and sustainable way, focus on the wellbeing of all, and build resiliency habits for the future on an individual level as well as on an organizational level.”

Practice Resiliency

The key to cultivating resiliency is the ability to reframe one’s perspective. Ask your team to pause and take a step back from the challenges of returning to the office, and the uncertainties that lay ahead. Take a wider view, and ask them how they could look at this situation differently. For example, what impact will this have on you and your team -- in one week, in one year, and in ten years?

The “next normal” is here. Based on research from Arianna Huffington’s, Thrive Global, “…leaders who convey hopefulness in stressful times are better at helping colleagues find meaning in their work.” By practicing resiliency habits, adopting a positive mindset, and reimagining the future of our workplace, we can emerge as stronger and better leaders, modeling behaviors that enable our teams to thrive.