How Resilience Training can benefit Organisational Change

One area where we have helped many organisations during the past few years of austerity is by providing resilience training following periods of budget and staff reduction and the organisational change which transpires as a consequence.

During such periods, forward thinking organisations look to engage professional support to provide staff with a training programme in the area of resilience in order to enable them to respond positively to the pressures and demands of the changes and challenges that will occur.

We often propose a customised version of our 1-day course ‘Developing Personal Resilience’.  This course is available in two versions, one for employees and another for managers.  Both courses focus on how delegates can enhance their current resilience skills in addition to developing others.  The main difference between the courses is that often in the delivery for managers we include exercises and discussions on how their personal resilience skills can be used to improve the resilience of their teams and the organisation as a whole.

Highlighted below are some aspects of the training which organisations have found linked well with their current circumstances and plans:

• Enhancing resilience skills such as ‘Reaching Out’ and ‘Network Building’ are very relevant in helping to build collaborative partnerships, often a vital aspect of an organisation’s strategic plans.  Realistic Optimism is also a key resilience skill that helps managers and employees alike to implement strategy in an enthusiastic and responsible way.

• The need to maintain morale for staff and/or volunteers is an  objective which can greatly benefit from resilience training for managers.  Resilience aspects such as ‘Empathy’ and ‘Role Modelling’ are key skills required to maintain morale when an organisation is facing adversity and setbacks.  When things go wrong it is essential that managers understand how to create a culture that motivates their teams.  A need to be aware of the impact their reactions and behaviours have on those they work with cannot be over-emphasised.

• When managers and employees are passionate and enthusiastic about the job they do, resilience frameworks such as the ‘3Cs’, (commitment, control and challenge) are more easily related to and developed.   If delegates are happy to share experience and best practice habits during the training, these can again be drawn upon.

• Raised awareness of ‘Self-efficacy’ and the ability to ‘Problem Solve’ link well with an organisation’s need to seek out new and innovative opportunities, including the ever increasing need to find potential new sources of funding following budget cuts.  This also links well when an organisation is looking to change the way they do things and improve efficiency and effectiveness within the organisation.

• Resilience is also about learning from and responding well to the setbacks and problems that inevitably occur when trying something new.  In this respect ‘Emotional Regulation’ and ‘Impulse Control’ are important skills for dealing with adversity and keeping a clear head when things go wrong.  Managers and employees need robust boundaries, an awareness of the importance of self-care, and the ability to pace themselves during periods of excessive pressure and demand.  Looking after their own health and wellbeing is essential to maintaining personal performance and the ability to support and encourage those they work with.

If you would like any further information or to have an initial discussion about how our resilience training can help during a period of organisational change, please complete our website contact form or call us on the number it provides.