What Is Team Resilience?
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines resilience as the ability to persevere despite challenges and hardships. Team resilience applies at the professional level, and it refers to a group’s ability to overcome challenges and adversities in the workplace.
While the definition of resilience is static and unchanging, it is a dynamic skill set that requires constant cultivation. A certificate program in leadership and resilience building is an excellent tool for learning more about factors that contribute to team resilience. Such a certificate also shows how leadership plays an immeasurable role in creating resilience among teams.
The Components of Team Resilience
Team resilience is not a single skill that can be taught in a workshop or meeting. Rather, professional resilience is the result of experiences and relationships within the workplace, and it is often rooted in emotion.
Strong Leadership
Leadership is one of the most important facets of team resilience. A leader sets an example for a team by offering support when needed, cultivating an optimistic worldview, and giving the team direction and purpose. Strong leaders encourage individuals to use their innate talents and skills in ways that benefit the team as a whole. They praise their teams when things go well, and they use mistakes as opportunities to teach rather than to punish.
Excellent Communication
Team resilience cannot exist without excellent communication. Leaders should express themselves clearly when describing challenges and hardships to their teams, and they should also listen carefully to understand their teams’ concerns or even fears. Most importantly, all communication should be supportive, positive, and purposeful.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
In many professional settings, strict rules and procedures can limit a team’s ability to think critically. As such, leaders must always encourage their teams to think in creative ways—especially in the face of adversity. For example, while significant budget cuts may seem catastrophic, leaders can encourage their teams to find clever ways to cut costs without harming productivity.
Self-Esteem and Motivation
At the personal level, self-esteem has a huge influence on resilience. Leadership involves empowering a team in ways that build confidence and provide purpose. This may involve giving accolades for accomplishments, reminding team members of their past achievements, and encouraging them to use their well-developed skills.
Challenge Orientation
The way a leader reacts to a serious challenge or hardship will ultimately influence team resilience. Leaders who immediately respond negatively to such a challenge will likely receive a negative response from their teams. Conversely, leaders who use challenges and adversities as opportunities for growth can cultivate a sense of purpose and fulfillment in their teams and make them more resilient in the future.
Tips for Improving Team Resilience
Building and maintaining team resilience is one of the most important tasks that leaders in any field or setting will face. Resilient teams are better equipped to handle stress, pressure, adversity, and change. As a leader, there are five key things to keep in mind when building and fostering a cohesive team with exceptional resilience.
1. Identify the Team’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Each member of a team lends some strengths and some weaknesses to the team as a whole. Excellent leadership involves identifying strengths and encouraging individuals to use them, but it also means identifying weaknesses and addressing them through training and support. Team members who can see their own growth objectively feel more motivated and secure in their skills, which is vital for resilience.
2. Develop an Open-Door Policy
An open-door policy encourages team members to approach their managers at any time with any concerns they might have about their work, their skills, or even the manager’s leadership abilities. Developing a safe, non-judgmental environment that fosters open communication takes time, but in terms of team resilience, it is one of the most important things any leader can do. Individuals who know that people in leadership positions are taking their concerns seriously feel more valued and fulfilled.
3. Create and Implement Team-Building Activities
Team-building activities serve several purposes. They help individuals get to know and understand each other, which facilitates better working relationships. They also provide opportunities for individual members of the team to discover the interpersonal issues that could be holding them back. Team-building activities should always be wholly inclusive and engaging, and while it can be fun to play a game now and then, the majority of these activities should be oriented toward the team’s larger objectives.
4. Cultivate a Mindset of Success and Growth
The best way to foster a growth and success mindset in a team is by encouraging constant learning. Teams that regularly overcome challenges develop a sense of pride. Not only do individuals feel proud of themselves, but they also feel proud to be part of an amazing team that can accomplish even the toughest tasks. As a result, these individuals genuinely want their teammates and their companies to grow and thrive.
5. Analyze Each Situation and Celebrate the Wins
Leaders should always acknowledge both individual contributions and team accomplishments to reinforce the idea that each member of the team is an important link in the chain of success. People deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication, after all. This creates a sense of personal satisfaction and fulfillment, and it drives team members to continue to work hard in the future.
Leaders should also encourage individuals to see their failures or mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than as setbacks. Analyzing the results of a particular project can pinpoint what went wrong, but rather than placing blame, strong leadership involves encouraging team members to discuss what could have been done differently. Ultimately, this leads to the adaptability and self-discovery that is at the core of team resilience.
Build Team Resilience Through Exceptional Leadership Skills
Resilient teams begin with resilient leaders. Leaders who build workplace cultures of open communication, trust, and self-esteem build teams that are equipped to handle even the most complex challenges.
Whether you are new to team leadership or are a seasoned senior leader, resilience starts with you. With the Building and Leading Resilient Teams Certificate Program at Suffolk University’s Center for Continuing & Professional Education, you will learn how to foster teamwork and build morale in ways that lead to meaningful and fulfilling performance.
Recommended Readings
Novice to Expert: Developing Specialized Skills in Your Field
What Are the Benefits of Networking?
How to Write Your Career Roadmap
Sources:
American Psychological Association, Resilience
RisingTeam, “Improving Team Resilience: Tips for Building a Strong and Cohesive Team”
Runn, “Team Resilience: How to Help Your Team Overcome Adversity”
Saberr, “Resilient Leadership: Examples and Strategies for Improving Resilience”