Build Your Resilience with Practical Tools and Techniques (Part 2) - Guest Article by Jill Maidment

Resilience is a key skill required by leaders and managers in the workplace, but it is also important for individuals to be able to cope with change, setbacks, major live events, and key challenges. The global pandemic has made Resilience  a much sought-after set of skills and behaviours.

Here are some practical tools and techniques to develop your Resilience skills…

The Change Curve

Identify where you sit on the Kubler-Ross Change Curve. This can help you to understand how change or knockbacks can cause certain emotions, for example, we may experience shock, such as at the onset of Covid-19.  Then we may start to blame ourselves for not being in a better place, for example, mentally, physically, financially.  We may then start to blame the government of other countries.  We may deny that anything is going to change.  However, when reality dawns, we may then get angry (with ourselves, governments, or other people).  We may also become scared and then extremely unhappy with the situation.

The key is to start to accept the changes, understand the reasons behind them, then begin to sort out issues, make some decisions and move on – often to a better and stronger position than you were in before any changes took place.

To deal with any significant changes or setbacks, you need to accept them, channel any anger, for example, into exercising or a new project, such as learning a language, or a musical instrument. It’s important to take some action, no matter how small the initial steps.

 

Setting Goals, Reaching Out, and Creating a Positive Mental Attitude

If you haven’t already got a personal and/or career vision and life purpose, then it’s time to create one with some SMART goals as to how you can get there and by when. That way you can focus on positive action, rather than on the negatives.

If you are struggling, it’s important to talk to your support network and a relevant professional if necessary, such as your organisation’s Employee Assistance Programme.

Try to create a Positive Mental Attitude so that you improve your morale and self-esteem. Think positive thoughts, for example, that you will achieve your goals, and work on boosting your confidence.

If you think you’ve made a mistake or failed at something, try to move on quickly and learn from the experience so that you don’t repeat unhelpful or self-sabotaging patterns or be stifled by your limiting beliefs. Stop saying ‘I can’t’ and keep telling yourself ‘I CAN do this, and I WILL do this!’

 

Control what you can Control

Try to control what you can control, which is your attitude, self-talk, breathing, behaviour, actions, and the amount of effort you put in. And try to limit what you cannot control, including other people, the weather, traffic, government decisions, Covid-19. So try to stop worrying about them. Remember that you have 100% responsibility for our own behaviour, reactions, and choices.

So, if you breathe more slowly, take your time, and give yourselves positive messages, you can improve the way you act, present, lead, manage, negotiate, and deal with key decisions, difficult people, and situations, at the same time improving stress levels, and strengthening your Resilience.

 

Jill Maidment is the Founder of Natural Talent, Bristol. She works with clients in some of the largest global companies, as well as public sector organisations, delivering Executive Coaching, Career and Transition Coaching, and Resilience Coaching. Jill has extensive experience, in the past, having worked for one of the world’s largest Counselling Consultancies, introducing Employee Assistance Programmes. She has also worked closely with Counsellors, managers and staff dealing with the aftermath of a range of major disasters, including an air crash, rail crash, and terrorist attack.

Jill believes that in the new normal, we shouldn’t be focusing on bouncing back to how things were pre-pandemic; we need to bounce forwards with renewed resilience and energy to deal with whatever challenges and ongoing change come our way.  Jill regularly speaks to large global audiences and she has published many expert audio talks on key leadership and management topics.  Here you can read Jill’s short eBook on Resilience  ‘The Ultimate Resilience Manual – Bounce Forwards with Resilience to Cope with key Challenges’

 

This is the second of two guest articles from Jill on resilience. Click here to read the first part.