Building a resilient team

Sudden changes and added pressures at work – such as those we’ve seen during the pandemic – can prevent employees from doing their best work. How can you build their resilience to such issues?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on 15Five

The best way to help your team stay motivated, and keep your organisation intact, during a crisis is to build resilience. Resilient workforces have the ability to bounce back when setbacks occur and continue making positive changes even after issues are resolved. The first step to encouraging resilience in your employees is to understand what’s holding them back.

The top issues on employees’ minds right now

To help your team become more resilient, it’s important to know how they’re feeling and empathise with their struggles. 15Five recommends taking an ongoing ‘pulse check’ of your employees through weekly check-ins and engagement surveys to learn about their unique pain points. Here are the top three issues that most employees are dealing with today.

Burnout

Employees, especially those working remotely, are struggling to set boundaries between their personal lives and their work – and, with so much at stake, their motivation may not be stemming from personal growth, but rather a fear of losing their jobs. Allowing work hours to bleed into evenings and weekends is a fast track to employee burnout – and burnout can be detrimental to an organisation.

Over 62% of people are currently experiencing burnout at work, and 76% of employees experience burnout at least sometimes. Not only is an overworked employee likely to make more mistakes, they’re also more stressed, depressed, and can account for a large portion of employee turnover.

Lack of clarity

‘When will we go back to the office?’ ‘What will it look like when we do?’ ‘Is my job safe?’ These are all questions that your employees have probably asked themselves over the last six months. While you may not have concrete answers to satisfy their concerns, it is possible to over-communicate the things that you do know. Even a small amount of reassurance can help employees regain a sense of control. 

Emotional support 

We’re all dealing with an unsettling amount of stress just now, and we’re all processing that stress differently. Maybe you’ve noticed that some of your co-workers are acting differently, or have even picked up on a shift in your own attitude. Instead of allowing frustrations to boil over, understand that your people could be dealing with more than they can handle at home, and approach situations with kindness and positive intent.