Cultivating Resilience for the 2021 Workplace

Arquella Hargrove 0 Comments January 4, 2021February 11, 2021 Blog

In 2020, millions were faced with life-changing obstacles that completely redefined their “normal.” With a global pandemic, unprecedented social and political unrest, and rising economic distress, people were forced to re-think, re-focus, and re-shift their way of doing life, just to keep their heads above water.

As a Human Resources management leader with over 25 years of demonstrated coaching expertise, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that historical events of this magnitude can have on corporations, their employees, and their families. There’s no doubt that “pivot” was the business buzzword of 2020 as business owners, entrepreneurs, and working professionals abruptly found themselves at the intersection of change and uncertainty.

Discovering Inner Resilience

As the CEO of Epic Collaborative Advisors consulting firm, I’ve spent my career coaching corporate leaders and employees at all levels within public and private sector organizations on how to establish and cultivate cultures of resilience preparing professionals to bounce back from unforeseen workplace challenges.  While 2020 proved to be the year of the unexpected, it wasn’t the year of the impossible.

I witnessed clients and colleagues across the country unlock relentless determination to not only survive but thrive against all odds. Tapping into their inner strength and capacity to triumph over tragedy, layoffs, and limited social interaction, people rose from the ashes of a tumultuous year, proving that we all encompass more resilience than what may appear on the surface.

What is Workplace Resilience?

Merriam-Webster defines resilience as follows:

1 : the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress.

2 : an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

In the workplace, your level of resilience affects your performance, relationships with management and co-workers, ability to handle high pressurized and rapidly changing workloads, problem-solving mechanisms, and many other aspects in professional environments. Essentially, your level of resilience at work can help or hinder your success drastically. 

Professionals who exemplify resilience understand the importance of intention and initiative. They refrain from passivity and take swift action to face conflicts, fears, and giants, head-on. If this is you, keep it steady and remember there’s always room for growth. And if it’s not you, don’t worry. Resilience can be strategically developed, and I want to show you how.

5 Ways to Cultivate Workplace Resilience

1. Respond, don’t react. This is an elementary lesson that never gets old. Think before you speak or take action, and always, always choose your words and actions wisely. Remember, this is your career. Stresses will arise, but how you respond can differentiate you from being an asset or an anchor to your company. Stay in control.
2. Recognize mistakes as learning processes. When you know better, you do better. When you do better, you grow. Instead of seeing mistakes as the end of the world, look through the lens of opportunity to discover teachable moments and ways to further professional development.
3. Reach for SMART goals. It is critical for you to set goals that coincide with your professional and personal vision. This increases your resilience by revealing the power you have to achieve.
4. Re-evaluate your self-confidence. How you see yourself is more important than you may realize, and can impact how others see you as well. Be positive and practice having a “can-do” mentality where your self-limitations take a back seat.
5. Rest. You know what your self-care needs to look like better than anyone else. When you’re not getting enough sleep or taking care of your body and mind, you will eventually find yourself running on fumes. This can be risky especially if you work in a fast-paced environment. Remain in-tune with yourself to know when you need a break.

What’s Next?

Take action! Begin to apply these practical tools and remember, resilience doesn’t appear overnight. It’s like a muscle and you have to exercise it consistently in order to see your desired results. I encourage you to visit my website to gain instant access to my blog where I tackle other industry topics like diversity and inclusion, women in leadership, and business communications. There you will also see a detailed list of one-on-one and group consulting services ranging from Workforce Development, Virtual Leadership Training Programs, and Strategic Planning.

I’m here to help you become your best professional and personal self, and we are all in this together. No matter what 2021 holds, dare to be different, dare to be bold, dare to be resilient.

Posted in Blog