By Teresa Edmondson
Resilient – characterized or marked by resilience, such as:
- Capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture
- Tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
Watch this 30-second video clip created by P.A. WEISS to learn how building resilient systems can make a real difference in your organization AND keep you as a leader from getting BLINDSIDED:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zclqf0si8iif0q6/PAW%20CLIP.1.mp4?dl=0
Specific things you can do RIGHT NOW to build greater resiliency in yourself and in your teams:
1. Recognize that systems are a complex maze of relationships and interactions. And they seldom reflect traditional organization charts! Try mapping out the “relationships” on your team. Where are the alliances? Where is there conflict? Who tends to side with whom? Who are your “go to” people? Who might you tend to avoid?
2. Learn to manage Automatic Reactivity in yourself – and to recognize it in others. When we feel threatened in the system, we can sometimes find ourselves reacting in a very automatic way. Have you recently seen any of the following behaviors in yourself or others?
- Failing to Really Listen
- Micro-Managing
- Over-Reacting in Anger (Freaking out!)
- Shutting Down
- Avoiding Conflict or “under responding”
- Distancing (easier to do virtually)
- Gossiping (Yes, it can be done virtually)
- Blaming
These types of behaviors are often VERY AUTOMATIC and can also be HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS. Yes, kind of like a virus.
3. Work on ways you can respond to reactivity with greater intention (rather than reacting). It’s tough to be intentional when others around us are reacting. Consider the following tips to help you respond with greater thoughtfulness and poise:
- Watch what’s going on around you.
- Observe your own tendencies to react.
- Take notes about your observations, especially in meetings.
- Consider different options for how you respond.
When you are able to “think systems” and are able to self-manage your own reactivity, you help those around you do the same, leading to greater resiliency in yourself, your teams and your organization.
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