It seems RESILIENCE is the buzzword right now.
We need shedloads of it, in both business AND life as we continue to navigate our way through this craaazy pandemic.
I talked a lot about RESILIENCE in last week’s FIT Matters, when I shared the inspiring story of Trunki Founder Rob Law, who endured an enormous amount of toil & strife before hitting the big-time with his global brand and whose steely grit and determination got him through the toughest of business (and life) challenges over the years.
Continuing the theme, I want to share with you a fascinating report I read last week in Personnel Today, entitled ‘The Rising Resilient’ published by leading global professional services firm, Aon.
In their Executive Summary they quote “….there is nothing that businesses need more right now than workforce resilience. They need people who can weather storms, who feel secure, productive and motivated in their jobs and can rapidly adapt to change”
Their research of over 2,500 participants in 5 countries (inc the UK) suggest that workforce resilience is a product of investing in the health & wellbeing of the employee and that those organisations who were already focused on this hot topic pre-COVID, are among the leaders in the pack when it comes to surviving and thriving in this global economic storm, as we move closer to the end of this tumultuous year.
We all know that happy employees = happy customers.
And when employees feel cared for and looked after and when they sense their employer has their back, they become more secure, more confident and feel more in control of their destiny.
That’s when resilience kicks in.
Organisations that take a proactive approach to creating a resilient workforce, through meaningful health & wellbeing initiatives for example, outperform their peers in terms of productivity, quality of work, talent acquisition and retention – but most importantly of all, score higher in the happiness stakes when it comes to employee engagement.
Aon has proved that greater investment in employee wellbeing is linked to greater levels of resilience and introducing a ‘programme of wellbeing’ that encompasses the 5 pillars is a really smart thing for companies to undertake right now, as we move through the eye of the COVID storm.
45% of employees are resilient when there is a holistic wellbeing programme in place while only 15% of workers are considered resilient in those organisations where no such programme exists.
However, developing employee resilience is complex – it requires balancing many different factors and the recipe for how to do it well is evolving, just as our people are, as we all adapt and change and pivot our working environments and our own approach to the working world at this challenging time.
No one factor alone is the answer to developing the resilient worker – apart from a holistic wellbeing programme, Aon cites the strength of social connections; supportiveness of the work environment; level of professional development programmes being offered and support for an employee growth mindset as other contributing factors of developing employee resilience.
Additionally, based on the World Health Organisation 2020 Policy Framework, resilience is shaped by 10 key factors namely:
1. Encouraging health-positive behaviours
2. Protecting physical health
3. Delivering clarity & purpose
4. Operating with compassion & engaging community
5. Supporting mental health in the modern day
6. Fostering adaptable skills
7. Sharing responsibility & control
8. Developing financial security
9. Embracing inclusivity
10. Understanding & managing employee expectations
So yes, it’s a complex issue and as they say in Yorkshire “there’s nowt as queer as folk” so every employee will have their own perceptions of what these factors mean to them.
The term ‘resilience’ has floated around the world of human resource management for a long time. Leaders have often asked how they can help their people be more resilient, particularly in high-stress workplaces, where a number of studies have correlated low individual resilience to specific negative outcomes, such as burnout and compassion fatigue.
For too long, many businesses have talked about the need and importance of resilience among their people, in order to build a successful operation, without providing an environment for their people to thrive.
Now more than ever, we need to design our organisations to meet the ever-changing and evolving needs of our Brand Ambassadors who are, always have been and always will be, the VITAL ingredient in our recipe of success.
It seems that ‘The Rising Resilient’ are not just leading the way in health & wellbeing in the workplace – they are the blueprint for successful businesses in the future. Their roots are firmly planted in compassion, tolerance and equality for our future generations and now is the moment to capture the energy of change.
Whatever happens, we’re not going back to the old way of work where blood, sweat and tears seemed to be the only way to survive and thrive in a busy marketplace.
The new World of Work (WOW!) is coming and it seems that if we, as leaders & movers & shakers can show some genuine care and compassion for our Brand Ambassadors, so they feel good to be part of our organisation, then THAT’S how we’ll develop a thriving, resilient and robust workforce in the future.
You can read the full, fascinating report here: Rising Resilience report by Aon
So, until next time – stay strong and keep FIT
Best regs
Marie X
