Wherever we might be in the world we’re facing a very turbulent time right now. And it’s creating ripples across society - not just in our workplaces.
Having the skills to flex, stay resilient and look after ourselves and others will make all the difference in the coming months and years, particularly as retaining and attracting the right people will continue to be a challenge.
So, one of the questions I’m asking clients as we enter this final quarter of the year is, “How are you investing now to equip your people to weather the storms we’re facing and support your organisation?”
Re-reading a recent report published by the Wellbeing Project, the Wraw (Wellbeing and Resilience at Work) Resilience Report, reminded me of some of the areas that leaders could incorporate into their planning for 2023 and beyond.
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Here are some of the aspects from that research that feel most relevant:
Roles
Leaders have a significant impact on the wellbeing of their employees with 22% of an individual’s wellbeing being attributed to managers who support and role-model good practice around resilience and wellbeing. The research also showed that senior leaders (directors and executives) have higher levels of resilience than line managers and non-managers.
Sectors
The findings showed real differences between industries, in how resilient to stress and pressure people felt (whatever their role). Those in consulting, pharma, science and finance feel most resilient. In contrast, workers in IT, charity and voluntary work and teaching and education were feeling the least resilient, along with those in the public sector and non-profit.
Age and location
Younger workers (18-25 years) reported the lowest resilience levels and home-based workers appear to feel the effects of pressure and challenge the most. Wherever you’re located though, the risk of burnout is still very real.
These findings made me consider what skills leaders and teams will need and plan for as we continue to face very real uncertainty and change. Here’s my current thinking – and these are the focus of many conversations I’m having too:
Resilience and wellbeing. Let’s be clear, this isn’t about people not being able to cope. It is about giving people greater self-awareness, ideas, tools and skills that can help them better understand how they respond to change and uncertainty and adapt to what’s happening around them, in more healthy ways.
Communication. One of the key recommendations from the report is the need for “regular, two-way communications between managers and employees…” Being equipped to have these types of conversations and regular check-ins with teams, means that leaders and managers will encourage a more inclusive culture and increase engagement across their teams.
Empathy, compassion and coaching. In the face of greater levels of technology and automation, emotional intelligence and the ability to have meaningful and productive conversations, will increasingly be recognised as business essentials.
These are just a few ideas that might help. What's on your list? Where will you put your focus and investment?
I’m a certified practitioner of the WRAW psychometric which helps measure employee resilience using data to inform coaching approaches. If you’d like to find out more or if you think this is something that could be useful to you or your team, I’d love to chat.