The question we want to pose today is if a company is responsible for employee resilience and wellbeing in the workplace. And if so, how? This question as a result from a recently re-posted HBR article, what resilience means and why it matters. We find this question difficult to answer until you dive deeper into the definition and drivers behind it.
In the article, they referenced the survey, which asks the question, “what’s the biggest drain on resilience at work?” I’m going to discuss the top three here today. To start off with a staggering 75% of respondents indicate that managing difficult relationships and politics in the workplace drains their resilience reserves. 70% state volume or pace of work, stretches them to the limit.
And 60% when they feel they’re being criticized personally. The great news here is that when you break this apart, it becomes a manageable undertaking that will have a significant impact on company culture and results. Fierce has been helping organizations tackle these issues for over 20 years. So let’s start and dive a little bit deeper.
Managing difficult relationships and politics comes from the recognition that each person is part of and responsible for the culture, empowering them with practical tools to provide feedback, confront and get curious, or bring these issues to the surface while enriching relationships around them. Heavy workloads using tried and true delegation models and conversation tools to negotiate priorities and deadlines we’ll get alignment and release stress. Taking criticisms as personal attacks really comes down to the training of how to give and receive proper feedback. This isn’t a monologue, but a conversation around observed behaviors and a discussion on what is happening. There are clear techniques to avoid criticism and move toward desired behaviors.
According to LinkedIn, resilience, and adaptability are listed as one of the top skills L and D leaders identified as most important for the workforce today. It sounds daunting on the surface until you break down what is underneath and what is an organization, and as leaders, we can do to help employees, which in turn will have a positive impact on the organization.
Here at Fierce, we are very passionate about resilience and stress in the workplace. Our newly hired chief behavioral science officer, Gabe de La Rosa has been researching this area for years in designing impactful programs as part of the Naval center for combat and operational stress control. His research has made clear links between beer solutions and engaging your daily challenges, lowering your stress, improving resilience, and driving desired outcomes, such as higher financial employee performance.
Together, we can empower a more resilient workforce. And please remember, the conversation is the relationship.
Tags: #CEO corner
