Building a resilient workforce

Have you recently returned to work after a break, either school holidays or at the very least, a long weekend, feeling refreshed, relaxed, able to effortlessly handle problems as they arise?

Notice that sometime after that, the stress levels may start to rise, and soon the holiday seems a long way in the past! Ever wondered why some people seem to bounce back at these times and others start to increasingly wilt?

Resilience is someone’s ability to bounce back in the face of challenges …..

A recent Health report on the ABC looked into this phenomena, and came up with a key strategy to combat this: try changing how you respond to the stresses you meet at work and build resilience. It said that an individual can strengthen their resilience in a range of ways including;

  • Build resilient thinking by reminding yourself of what works well, previous accomplishments and break tasks into smaller manageable chunks, focusing on what you can control and accept that mistakes or challenges can occur.
  • Take a break and come back to the issue with “fresh” eyes
  • Get balance – your lifestyle is important, take time out of work to do things you enjoy. Exercise, diet, leisure time all have an influence.
  • Have a support network both in and out of workplace to help buffer difficult situations

Organisations can help their people become more resilient too, by implementing a few simple strategies:

  • Resilience training programs to help deal with stresses and challenges, especially around times of change.
  • Coaching to improve performance, skill and well-being, and mentoring to support long-term career development and build on the coaching outcomes.
  • Physical activity programs are known to be good for mental health, and encouraging it in the workplace makes good sense.

Roleplay Australia customises programs for organisations who recognise the value of a resilient workforce, especially when meeting the challenges of organisational change, and our expert coaches and mentors are there to support individuals at all levels of responsibility in the organisation.

See the full report from the ABC here.