The true meaning of resilience can be elusive. We hear about its importance, but rarely delve into the specifics: what exactly is resilience, and how can we develop it within ourselves and our organizations?
Let’s take a look at the concept of resilience, exploring its role in both individual and organizational contexts. We’ll move beyond vague pronouncements and delve into practical strategies for fostering this essential quality.
Debunking the Myth: Resilience is a Spectrum, Not a Fixed Trait
One of the challenges with resilience lies in its colloquial nature. It’s often used rhetorically, with the assumption that everyone shares the same understanding. Yet, the reality is far more nuanced. There’s no single factor that dictates resilience across individuals or populations.
Instead, resilience is best understood as a dynamic interplay of various elements. It’s an ongoing process, constantly unfolding and adapting to new situations. Someone might be incredibly resilient at work, navigating challenges with ease, yet struggle in their home environment.
This highlights the importance of context. Resilience is not a one-size-fits-all trait. What fosters resilience in one situation might not translate to another.
Furthermore, resilience isn’t a passive quality. It requires active engagement with available resources. People need to identify the assets and support systems that resonate with them, and develop the ability to access and utilize them when needed.
This focus on resources reminds us that resilience flourishes when we create environments that empower individuals and communities to thrive. It’s more likely to develop when support is readily available, allowing people to flourish in alignment with their values.
Finally, resilience isn’t solely about bouncing back to a previous state. It can also be about growth. Our working definition of resilience encompasses all of these aspects:
> An unfolding and adaptive process of responding to challenges flexibly by tapping into available resources to maintain well being, return to equilibrium, or foster growth.
The Power of Everyday Practices: Building Resilience Through Haptic Healing
Everyday activities can nurture resilience. There are a range of elements that strengthen our capacity to cope with challenges:
Coping Strategies
Learning new ways to manage difficult emotions and situations.
Positive Emotionality
Cultivating a positive outlook and focusing on desired outcomes.
Social Connection
Building strong relationships that provide support and a sense of belonging.
Self-Regulation
Developing the ability to manage emotions and reactions effectively.
Motivation
Finding the drive and purpose to persevere through challenges.
Safety
Creating an environment where individuals feel secure and supported.
Awareness
Increasing self-awareness and understanding one’s own triggers and responses.
Community
Fostering a sense of belonging and connection with others.
The magic of resilience lies in its ordinariness. (See Ann Masten’s book Ordinary Magic: Resilience in Development https://a.co/d/dp8R7sQ)
George Bonanno’s research following 9/11 underscores this point. His study revealed that the majority of those directly exposed to the attacks did not develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Those with strong social support networks and flexible coping mechanisms exhibited the best outcomes.
This research highlights a crucial truth: humans are inherently resilient. We possess the capacity to adapt and overcome adversity. Yet, our natural resilience needs nurturing. Programs like Haptic Healing at the Pottery Wheel™ provide the support and resources necessary to cultivate this essential quality.
From Individual to Collective: Cultivating Resilience in Organizations
Organizational resilience is essentially the collective expression of individual resilience. Building on our working definition, organizations must provide the resources and support systems that empower individual staff members. This creates a virtuous cycle – a resilient organization is built upon resilient individuals, and vice versa.
While pinpointing a single factor as the most crucial for organizational resilience is challenging, three key elements stand out: mindful action, re-cognition, and operations-relationship parity. (See Managing the Unexpected: Resilient Performance in an Age of Uncertainty by Karl E. Weick https://a.co/d/gC8Bqvr)
Mindfulness
This refers to the practice of paying focused attention to the present moment without judgment. Organizations must cultivate a culture of mindfulness, encouraging leadership to actively notice details, especially unexpected ones. We often prioritize strong signals (major events) while neglecting weak signals (subtle indicators of potential problems). Mindfulness allows us to pay attention to events regardless of their perceived significance, avoiding the trap of equating similarity with sameness. Just because something seems familiar doesn’t mean it actually is. Mindfulness encourages us to approach each situation with fresh eyes.
Re-cognition
This concept builds upon mindfulness. It’s the reluctance to assume sameness based on past experiences. It’s natural to respond to situations that seem similar to past encounters in a familiar way. However, this can lead to overlooking crucial differences. Re-cognition encourages us to move beyond assumptions and truly recognize the unique nature of each situation
Operations-Relationship Parity
The third pillar of organizational resilience is a concept we can call operations-relationship parity. This principle emphasizes the direct connection between an organization’s sensitivity to its operations and its sensitivity to the human relationships within it.
Let’s break this down. Your organization, your studio in this case, is made up of people. These individuals are the heart and soul of your operation. They bring their skills, experience, and perspectives to the table every day.
For a studio to be truly resilient, it needs to foster an environment where people feel safe enough to voice concerns, problems, or potential improvements related to how things run. This might involve issues with equipment, inefficiencies in workflows, or areas where communication could be smoother.
Here’s why this is crucial: When people hesitate to share their observations, ideas, or concerns, it hinders the organization’s ability to learn and grow. Valuable insights and perspectives remain untapped. The system becomes stagnant, less adaptable, and ultimately less resilient.
We’ll delve deeper into the importance of voice, choice, and empowerment in our post about trauma-informed practices. However, the core message here is that a resilient organization prioritizes both operational efficiency and the well-being of its staff. They are not separate entities, but rather two sides of the same coin. This practice fosters collaboration, innovation, and ultimately, a more resilient organization.