With all the ups and downs that businesses are experiencing, a resilient team can be a meaningful asset to your organization. There are unprecedented challenges we have to overcome like the pandemic and the rise of remote work, but then there are more common roadblocks that can cause your teams to struggle.
Think about the stresses associated with busy seasons, challenging projects, turnover, economic headwinds, and drama with other coworkers — all of these problems can be more easily addressed if team members know how to be resilient. And if they’re more capable of working through those on their own, retention improves and leaders can focus their energy on other projects.
A focus on building a culture of resilience from the top down can help employees weather challenging times and deal with workplace stress in a healthy and productive way. As the new year begins, it’s hard to say what challenges may lie ahead, but by following these five tips, leaders can build resilient teams ready to face any issue that may come their way.
1. Connect with those you lead.
Everyone wants to have trust in the person that is leading them. A recent Harvard study found that employees who work in “high trust” organizations are more productive, have more energy at work, and are more apt to stay with the company.
One of the most powerful ways to build trust as a leader is to really connect with those you lead. It’s easy to have your interactions focus on the projects or the deadlines or metrics, and of course, those need to be addressed. But real connection, and therefore trust, comes when you understand your team members at a level beyond KPIs.
What are their professional ambitions? What are their strengths and are they being leveraged at work? What are their weaknesses and do you have a plan to help them overcome those at work? What do they enjoy outside of work or are there personal struggles where you could (appropriately) support them?
When leaders have that type of connection, then the dynamics of the organization quickly improve.
Forging a culture that supports trust shows employees they can rely on leadership when things get tough. Those employees also know where to turn if they have concerns or questions, or if something goes wrong.
Team members must also trust one another. This trust can be forged when people prove themselves reliable by following through on their promises and remaining accountable to themselves.
2. Build authentic connections.
When you work with people day in and day out, you are bound to build connections with them. When those connections are more than just surface relationships and carry authenticity, the benefits they reap can be immeasurable.
Even within remote or hybrid work environments, leaders can support authentic relationships between employees. These connections can happen within all-hands meetings, team-building exercises with “getting to know you” questions and answers, or with newer software programs that allow for breakout sessions during virtual meetings.
One of the current six priorities from the US Surgeon General is “Workplace Well-Being,” within which he specifically addresses the importance of “Connection & Community” at work. He says, “Leaders in organizations can communicate the importance of teamwork, encourage frequent communication, model authenticity, provide teams with effective collaboration tools, and include time for non-work connection and possibly community service.”
To me, the most crucial point within his advice is to “include time for non-work connection.” Maybe that’s an employee resource group around personal interests, an occasional game night, or dedicated funds for team activities.
Regardless of how you execute it, investing in connections between team members is powerful. Authentic connections bolster resilience because a well-connected team knows they can rely on one another when times get tough.
3. Offer open communication.
Stress can come from feeling like one is in the dark about changes at work. When the workplace feels unstable — whether due to turnover or sudden shifts in goals and mission — people feel untethered, which can lead to burnout.
Leaders need to maintain open communication and transparency with their teams. If there are changes in staffing or the scope of a project, for example, there must be communication about why changes are happening and what the new goals may be. Don’t just share the changes or the struggles — make sure part of that open communication includes highlights and accomplishments throughout the company.
People want to see the “wins,” and when these are communicated broadly, it gives people a reason to be confident and celebrate. Though not for all organizations, maybe that communication includes personal wins as well by sharing what’s happening at home, like announcing a new baby or the adoption of a child or sharing pictures from vacations or community service team members are doing. That open communication around what’s happening outside of work builds deeper relationships at work.
Don’t forget that communication should go both ways. Leaders and team members can avoid a “silo mentality” by maintaining open communication so every employee can share their own different ideas and perspectives, which shows them that their thoughts and ideas are important to the overall success of the organization. Teams that feel heard build resiliency and are more apt to work together as a cohesive unit toward solving problems.
4. Be open for feedback.
Leaders may tend to believe everything within their organization is going perfectly well when, in reality, their team members could have a completely different perspective. Leaving one’s door open for feedback, sourcing that feedback, and acting on the feedback are the best ways to be clued into how the team members feel.
Teams should also have an opportunity to come together on project updates, training opportunities, and changes within the organization. By offering a cohesive opportunity to give feedback and work on solutions together, teams build a resilient front that can be applied to future issues.
The more resilient a team is, the better it can help organizations scale and thrive — even amid stressful situations. There will always be obstacles, but by applying these tips and focusing on cohesion and communication, business leaders can build resilient teams that can take on and overcome any challenge.
Logan Mallory is the Vice President of Marketing at the leading employee engagement and recognition software, Motivosity. Mallory is a public speaker, professor, and thought leader on culture and leadership in the workplace to achieve employee retention. Motivosity helps companies promote gratitude and connection in today’s digital era of work.