Resilience - A Must Have Skill
Resilience is an attractive skill for employers to see, and for employees to have to enhance their careers. It means having the ability to overcome barriers and adapt to change or problems in the workplace (or in personal life) as they arise.
Resilience is a skill that can be learnt and developed. The resilience workshop I deliver has come about as a result of many situations in life that I was able to cope with and bounce back from. I know that by sharing some of these experiences, those attending can be helped to learn to cope.
Many years ago, employers and employees could expect to stay in the same job/industry until retirement. There was no designated plan to which I adhered to, but I changed jobs every 18months from 1974 onwards. This necessitated different skills that I needed to learn as I came to terms with new industries, new cultures, different colleagues and new rules & regulations time and again. I now realise I was becoming resilient, as well as having a different type of work journey to the norm.
Some of the skills I needed, (and share in my workshop), required me to:
be focussed and remain engaged even when I knew changes were happening (this has got me re-employed by the same company a few times and is essential as a consultant);
spot trends and turn them into opportunities (as I did when going to Lampton College for SAP certification in 1998 before SAP became trendy);
not worry about the past but to concentrate on the future (as I did in 2009 when I started working towards my own business, even though I was still employed overseas, but knowing I would be leaving the Middle East around 2013);
keep learning every day (which I still do by reading and understanding) and
evolve with the times (as I have done with this pandemic by delivering workshops online for the first time).
None of this makes me superhuman .... it just shows that resilience can be learnt and built upon.
There are many views on the most important characteristics of Resilience. You may have heard of the 5Pillars (Energy, Future Focus, Inner Drive, Flexible Thinking and Strong Relationships); but we concentrate on the Kate Berardo Model of the 5Rs, look at Resilient Domains and understand Growth Mindset to help you become more resilient.
Resilient people have learnt behaviours, attitudes and work patterns. You can make a start on your journey to resilience by attending the Boost sponsored Resilient Online Workshops which can be viewed on www.boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk
, Eventbrite and www.apdresolutions.co.uk/events
Hywel Griffiths
MD APD Resolutions Ltd
Business Analyst and Personal/Corporate Development Coach.