How do you build a resilient culture at work?

Resilience is 7 times falling down and 8 times standing up according to a Japanese saying. A culture is resilient when it allows people to be vulnerable, to make mistakes, to fall down, learn from it and stand up again. Embrace story telling to lead by example on building a resilient culture.

One thing I have found helpful is building a culture of failing forward. Understanding that perfection is unattainable and a futile exercise but being able to bounce back from failure/setbacks is not only a skill set but a character trait worth building. The team works together towards a common goal supporting each other by highlighting each other's strengths and bettering others' shortcomings (weaknesses)

Respect everyone on your team. Prejudice and lack of acknowledgement are productivity killers. Be flexible. Bear in mind that your life does not always run smoothly either. Engage everyone in the creative effort to fulfil the mission.

Team work makes the dream work. When your team members feel like they are heard and understood, they are more likely to be engaged and productive. They get more done. Here are my top tips for pumping your crew up. Create a culture of trust and respect. When team members feel like they can trust each other and their leaders, they are more likely to be open to feedback and collaboration. They need to know that they will be treated fairly and consistently, regardless of their position or background. This means setting clear expectations and holding everyone accountable to the same standards. Seniority is not the priority. Be the role model.

Fostering psychological safety (the belief that people can speak up, disagree, make mistakes, etc. without fear of negative consequences) is an important part of both collaboration and resilience. If you do not have psychological safety within your team, concerns and ideas won't be voiced, and this will stifle collaborative efforts. Resilience as a team includes being able to work through conflict and still move forward together toward a shared goal, and supervisors need to set the processes and expectations around this.

Collaboration should be an outcome of the way one leads. Leadership is two thing: Managing Resources and Developing People. Through these a leader effectively delegates by providing: expectations, boundaries, resources and follow up. In this collaboration should be a part of resourcing. As when one assigns the task one wants to ensure their team understands where they are in the chain for deliverables and teams or individuals before them or after them may have resources (information or skills) critical to not only accomplishing the tasks but delivering it in such a way that sets the next team or customer up for success.

If you’re really serious about this, give them permission to plan the time they need for their #wellbeing before they plan any time for work. That includes lunch, breaks (especially meeting breaks), reminders to go home etc. This will help them to avoid overbooking their time.

In my experience, it’s game changing when people are able to see that stress is a feeling that is alerting us to our stressful thinking about something or someone. It’s not telling us about the thing - just our ‘reaction’ to it in that moment. All feelings are friendly guidance - our internal GPS - helping us see that our thinking is stressing us or scaring us or worrying us. Not the thing itself.

Growth should be organic to the way one leads. In developing others, one is consistently looking to re-enforce the core strengths, and systematically add extension of other skills onto it. The goal being that staff can go from administrative, to task and then reporting. Call it the complete life cycle of operations. Each segment has its own skills to be developed and so in developing ones people growth is simply an organic outcome. If it is not happening then one is not leading and needs to change their management technique.

Always emphasize possibility. Even setbacks are opportunities to learn and grow. Acknowledge wins, especially unique contributions from specific team members. When things go sideways, model accountability, first and foremost. Even if you didn't make the mistake, demonstrating accountability to the team will go a long way.

Employees look for strong leadership, effective communication, and a keen awareness of the goals of the group. Leaders who provide a calm perspective on change can create a sense of meaning in the work that employees do every day. They build a shared sense of purpose that their teams can unite behind. Calm leaders are more likely to help their teams be resilient, and resilient employees see work as a source of both satisfaction and meaning in their lives.

Your example sets a powerful precedent, showing that setbacks are not failures but opportunities to learn and evolve. It's not just about surviving challenges; it's about thriving through them, embracing change, and moving forward with wisdom and strength. Your resilience as a leader becomes a beacon for your team, guiding them to rise above obstacles with grace and determination. Your leadership isn't defined by the absence of challenges but by the way you face them. Lead by example, and let your resilience be the inspiration!

I would also add that it is important to create a culture of trust and respect. When employees feel like they can trust their leaders and colleagues, they are more likely to be open about their challenges and ask for help when they need it. This can help to build resilience by creating a sense of community and support. Finally, it is important to remember that resilience is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, effort, and commitment to create a resilient culture. However, the benefits are worth it. A resilient workplace is a more productive, innovative, and engaged workplace. It is also a more enjoyable place to work.

Leaders who want to keep the vision firmly in the minds of their employees will integrate it into every aspect of their communications. They stand up for it—literally in front of team members—every chance they get. It evolves into part of the organization’s everyday vernacular. Every accomplishment on the path to the vision, no matter how small, is a reason to celebrate. For many teams, seeing the ultimate dream become real happens over time and in incremental steps. And often we’re so busy moving on to the next challenge when we finish one project that we forget to stop and celebrate the accomplishment. Pausing to reflect and celebrate the small successes keeps people engaged as they feel real progress along the way.