Resilience– NaturevNature?Canwereallybuildresilienceinourpeople?

EmmaRyanExecutiveandResilienceCoach

WhoamI?

• BorninLancashireinthe70s• EducatedatLoughboroughUniversityandBirkbeck

• 15yearsinTalentandLeadershipDevelopmentrolesacrossFinanceandPharmaceuticalindustries

• Followedby6yearsasanExecutiveCoach

• Myresilienceandmindfulnessjourney

Whatwearegoingtotalkaboutthismorning• Wherehasthis‘resilience’topic/focuscomefromandwhyisitimportant?

• Whatresilienceisandcanitreallybelearnedorareweluckyifweinherentlyjusthaveit?

• Whatdoresilientpeopleandresilientorganisationsdodifferentlytoothers?

• Howdoesresearchalongsidethenaturevnurturedebatehelpinformwhatweshouldbedoingtobuildresilienceinourorganisations?

Whyisthisdiscussionimportant?Source:CIPDHealthandWellbeingatWorkSurveyMay2018

Weareinvestingmoremoneyonbuildingresilience….• 44%oforganisations providedtrainingaimedatbuildingpersonalresilience(suchascopingtechniques,mindfulness)in2018comparedwith26%in2016

Andmoreresourcesonstressmanagement….• Justovertwo-thirdsoforganisations aretakingstepstoidentifyandreduceworkplacestressincluding:

• promotingflexibleworkingoptions• improvedwork–lifebalance• employeeassistanceprogrammes• staffsurveysand/orfocusgroupstoidentifycauses• riskassessments/stressaudits.

Andyetstress-relatedabsenceisstillaproblem!• 37%oforganisations reportedthatstress-relatedabsencehasincreasedoverthepastyearandonly8%thatithasdecreased.

Workingintoday’sworld§ ‘Workload’wasthebiggestreportedcauseofstress(CIPD2018)

§ TheCIPDMegatrendsreport(2014)claimedthatworkinghourswerenotgettinglongerhowever,thedeadlinesaregettingtighterwithfewerresources

§ 24-hourcommunication,somethingalwaysneedingourattention

§ Abilitytoquicklyinnovateiskeytostayinginbusinessandsopaceofchangeisincreasing

§ VUCAenvironmentleadingtostress,beingonhigh-alertandoffeelingoverwhelmed

Managingourselvesasindividuals• Theenvironmentisunlikelytochangetoomuchbuthowyourespondtoitcan

• Eliminatingthestressorsisanunrealisticgoal

• Dealingwithyourstressandbuildingyourresilienceandcapabilitytothriveinthemodernworldismorerealistic

• Buildingourresilienceisallabouttakingcharge:ofyourlifestyle,thoughts,emotions,andthewayyoudealwithproblems

Sowhatdowemeanbyresilience?It’smorethanbouncingback!

“Thecapacitytoremainflexibleinourthoughts,feelingsandbehaviourswhenfacedbyalifedisruption,orextended

periodsofpressure,sothatweemergefromdifficultystronger,wiserandmoreable.”

DrCarolePemberton

FromSurvivingtoThriving

AdversityandHardship

Stressed Thriving

Survival Recovery Growth

Continuingtofunctionbutinimpairedstate

Recoveredthehardshipandbacktothe

levelwewerebefore

Growthortransformationhasoccurred

RESILIENCE

Whatdowemeanby‘thriving’Source:Carver(1998)

• Decreasednegativereactivitytoandfasterrecoveryfromsubsequentstressors

• Consistentlyhigherleveloffunctioninginsubsequentsituations

• Mayreflectgainsinskills,knowledge&confidence• Increasedoursenseofsecurityinpersonalrelationships• Havingenduredhardshipandadversitywehavestrengthenedourresilienceandhada‘growth’experience

• Mayevenhavecreatednewpurposeoranewidentity

• Thiscanhappenatanindividualandorganisationallevel

Wheredoesourresiliencecomefrom?

Genetics&

InheritedTraits

LearnedBehaviour

ChildhoodExperiences

Arewejustbornwithresilience(orwithlessresilience)?

1.Serotonin• Thisistheneurotransmitterassociatedwithfeelingsoftranquillity,calm

andwell-being

• Somepeoplehaveavariantofthe5HTTgene(thatproduceserotonin)whichproducesmoreofit

• Theypresentasmoreoptimisticthanothers

2.Adrenaline• Somepeoplehaveavariantofthe2-adrenoreceptorgenewhichproduces

moreadrenaline

• Resultsinthemreactingmorestronglytonegativesituationsandtakinglongertosettledown

3.Anxiety• Forsome,avariantoftheneuropeptideYgene,meanttoreduceanxiety,

actuallyincreasestheactivity

• Leadstoheightenedanxietywhendealingwithastressfulsituationforthoseindividuals

Doesourchildhoodshapeourresilience?WernerandSmith(2001)30-yearlongitudinalstudyof698Haiwaiian children(fromage10to40)supportedthetraittheorybutalso2otherequallyimportant‘protectivefactors’:

1. Theavailabilityofparentalwarmth• Secureattachmentwithatleastoneparentwhocouldofferreassurancewhenthechildwasanxiousorworried

2. Supportandrolemodels• Evenifparentnotavailable,childhadaccesstootheradults(e.g.youthworker,teacher,grandparent)whocouldprovidesupportandhelpchilddevelopasenseofpurpose

Howmuchcanwelearnit?NeuralplasticityandresilienceNowknowthat…

• Withrepeatedpractice,braincellsarecapableofforgingnewconnections– wecanliterallyre-wireourbrain!

• Researchisinconclusiveonthenumberofrepeatedactionsrequired(butit’ssomewherebetween17and64!)

• Allofushavetheabilitytomakenewconnectionsinourbrain– howeverneuroscientistshavediscoveredsomeofushaveagreaterabilitythanothers

Forexample

• Mindfulnesspracticeshavebeenshowntopositivelyalterthestructureandneuralpatternsinthebrainandstrengthenthebrainregionsassociatedwithheightenedsensoryprocessingandempatheticresponses

Wheredoesourresiliencecomefrom?

Genetics&InheritedTraits

Learningfrom

Adversity

ChildhoodExperiences

Studiesoftwinsshowthatbetween32-38%of

behaviourcanbeexplainedbyinherited

behavioursBothpositiveand

negativeexperiencescan

shapeusHavingadultrole

modelskeyNeuroplasticity

meansthatwecanlearnnewways–willbeeasierforsomethanothers

Wheredoesyourresiliencecomefrom?

Genetics&InheritedBehaviours

Learningfrom

Adversity

ChildhoodExperiences

• Howoptimisticorpessimisticareyounaturally?

• Howwouldyourfriendsandfamilydescribeyourabilitytodealwithadversity?

• Howeasydoyoufindittoletgoandmoveon?

• Whatchallengesdidyouhavetodealwithinyourearlyyears?

• Whathelpedyoudealwiththosechallenges?

• Whohelpedyoubelieveinyourpotential?

• Whathavebeenthebiggestlifechallengesyouhavefaced?

• Whathaveyoulearntfromdealingwiththose?

• Whatdoyoucontinuetousetohelpyou?

Whatdoresilienthigh-performingpeopledo?OlympianAthletes:• FletcherandSarkar(2012)

• Interviewed12gold-medalwinningOlympians• Findings- Manyhadthetraitandprotectivefactorsbutalso:

1. Lookedatdifficultiesasanopportunitytolearn• Notdefinedbytheimmediatesetbackbutfeltenabledtobetolearnfromthedifficulty

2. Theywereabletomanagetheirthoughts• Abletomindfullynoticetheirthoughtsandcognitivelymanagethemtoassesstheirvalueinrelationtotheirgoals

Whatdoresilientpeopledo?

Resilient people

Seek challenges as

learning opportunities

Strong sense of purpose and

commit to goals

Focus on what they can control, don’t take things

personally

Refresh and Re-energise

EIself awareness & manage emotions

Cognitively manage

thoughts and think positively

Ourabilitytodealwithadversitydeterminedby3Ps(MartinSeligman)

Permanence - thinkingabadsituationwilllastforever.Thosewhothinksetbacksaretemporaryhaveimprovedabilitytoacceptandadaptforthefuture.

Pervasiveness - thinkingabadsituationappliesacrossallareasofyourlife,insteadofonlyhappeninginonearea.Peoplewhothinkbadsituationsarepervasivefeelthatallareasoftheirlifeareimpacted.Thiscanmakeithardtocarryon.

Personalisation - thinkingthattheproblemisyourself,insteadofconsideringotheroutsidethingsthathavecausedit.Realizingoutsidefactorshavecausedabadsituationallowsustoreducetheblameandcriticismweputonourselves.

Whatisaresilientorganisation?ProfessorDavidDenyer,Cranfield SchoolofManagement,2017

“Aresilientorganizationisonethatdoesn’tmerelysurviveoverthelongterm,butflourishes.WebelievethatmasteringOrganizationalResilience

offersthebestopportunityforcompaniestopassthetestoftime,unlockingfutureprosperityandlongevity.Thosethatlearntospringforward andnotstaggerbackwards,reapdividendsfortheircompany,

employees,investors,governmentandsocietyingeneral.”HowardKerr,ChairmanofBSI

OrganizationalResilienceistheabilityofanorganizationtoanticipate,preparefor,respondandadapttoincrementalchangeandsudden

disruptionsinordertosurviveandprosper.

Twocoredrivers:

DefensiveStoppingBadThingsHappening

ProgressiveMaking

GoodThingsHappen

ResilientOrganisation

OrganisationalResilienceneeds…Source:BSIandCranfieldUniversity,OrganisationalResilienceReport(2017)

• OrganizationalResilienceneedstobefitforpurpose.• Thereisnosinglerecipeandleadersneedtofindabalancebetweenpreventativecontrol,mindfulaction,performanceoptimizationandadaptiveinnovationthatisappropriatetotheirmissionandsector.

• Leadershavetomanagethetensionsbetween:• TheneedtobebothdefensiveANDprogressiveandalsoconsistentANDflexible.Paradoxicalthinkinghelpsleadersshiftbeyond‘either/or’toward‘both/and’outcomes.

• OrganizationalResiliencerequiresconstanteffort.• Ifneglected,preventativecontrol,mindfulaction,performanceoptimizationandadaptiveinnovationwillerodeovertimeandcanresultinorganizationssleepwalkingintodisaster.

WhatdoResilientorganisationsdo?Sources:Sevilleetal(2008),CommonwealthofAustralia(2012)

• Haveaclearvisionthatisclearlycommunicatedcreatingbuyin,employeeengagementandmotivation

• Balance‘what’spossible’with‘what’spractical’• Developculturesthatcanadaptandchange:

- quicklytoreacttoshorttermcrisis;- innovateandreinventtoshapelongertermenvironment

• Employeesfeeltrustedandempoweredtomakedecisions• Strongsituationalleadershipatalllevelsoftheorganisation

Whatdoesthistellus….Alignboththeorganisationandindividual

Organisation• Haveaclearvisionandmissionandcreatea diverseand inclusivework-place wherepeople

canbetheirbestselves• Re-brand theperceptionofresilience– highperformancevremedial

• Take risks (inacontrolledway) – FailFast• Theperformancemanagementsystemwillneedtoreflectthis

• Innovate – quickly!Diversity iskeyhereasis changeagility• EmotionallyIntelligentLeaders whorolemodelresilience,whocanleadandcoachothers

throughchangeandadversity,whocanleanintodifficultconversations• Encourageadaptivepractice wheretheycanreflectandshiftattention/direction

• TheHRcycleshouldreflecttheresiliencestrategy includingTalentAcquisition,Learning&Development,EngagementandPerformanceManagement

• Createandembraceflexibleworkingpracticesthatenablepeople toworkintheirbestway

Whatdoesthistellus….Alignboththeorganisationandindividual

Individual– one sizedoesnotfitall!• Createpurpose andidentityforpeople: Cleargoalsandregularfeedback onstrengths,

potentialandgrowthtobuildself-awareness

• EnableaGrowthMindset: Coachanddevelopmindsets thatencouragesproblemsolving,learning,growthandrisktaking.Werarelyhavetheanswersanymore!

• Createsupportnetworks suchasformalEAPandmentoringprogrammes

• Trainingisimportant(e.g.mindfulnessclasses,building resilience) butneedstobesupportedbyongoingopportunitiesforpractice andcommitmentstochange

• Collaborative teamsthattrust eachotherwhilstholdingeachothertoaccount

• Holisticself-care(mind,bodyandsoul)• Cognitivelyandconsciouslymanagethoughts• Practicecompassion

Howtosupportourcolleagueswithalowercapacityforlearningresilience?• Time:Forcontinuedpractice• Supportnetwork:buddy,mentor,resiliencecoach• Ongoingfeedback:increasingself-awarenessandstrongersenseofpurpose/identity

• Plentyofcommunicationaroundchange:evenwhenthereisnothingtocommunicate

• Emotionallyintelligentmanagerwhocanempathiseandbuildtrust

"Leadersmusteitherinvestareasonableamountoftimeattendingtofearsandfeelings,orsquanderanunreasonableamountoftimetryingto

managein-effectiveandunproductivebehaviours.”- DaretoLead,Brene Brown

Anyquestions?

References

• https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/health-and-well-being-at-work_tcm18-40863.pdf

• https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/trends/megatrends/working-harder

• https://www.organisationalresilience.gov.au/resources/Documents/ceo-perspectives-on-organisational-resilience.pdf

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49853211_Organisational_resilience_Researching_the_reality_of_New_Zealand_organisations

• https://www.lhh.com/lhhpenna/en/our-knowledge/2018/organisational-resilience

• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01136.x