There are always going to be challenges, stresses and pressures in the workforce; however, working to eliminate these as much as possible by promoting resilience can help improve motivation and productivity significantly, says Menaca Pothalingam
My resilience has been tested in many ways throughout my life. Facing war, migration, single parenthood and business ownership, I have had to overcome many challenges throughout my path to success.
Despite this, my journey was not without its struggles; there were many points where I was ready to give up, experiencing burnout and stress-related illnesses.
Overcoming these challenges were major hurdles to master at times. However, along the way, I discovered I was not alone. Using these skills I learned to successfully deal with the concoction of varied experiences, I am now able to help others overcome similar challenges and build a more resilient workforce inclined towards success.
What is resilience?
Resilience is being able to come back as yourself after enduring adversity, being able to hold control over your emotions and environment and then being able to move forward with a positive mindset ready for the next challenge. Demonstrating resilience is especially important in today’s modern workforce, which is extremely fast-paced and full of competition.
Whilst some people are naturally able to cope with stressful situations in more efficient ways compared to others, resilience is a skill that can be taught. Encouraging your workforce to take greater responsibility for their perception of events and reactions to challenges and helping them to consider different outcomes and approaches is a great way to create a robust workforce with increased productivity and resilience.
How can employers enhance the resilience of their workforce?
Helping to promote resilience amongst your workforce will not only improve their efficiency but will also enhance wellbeing. Encouraging your workforce to aim towards achieving a shared purpose with clarity and having common goals as a team can help resilience be achieved successfully.
Encouraging a culture of community and collaboration enables employees to identify challenges and setbacks together, finding workable solutions. This will help boost your workforce’s morale and improve employee relationships. Adopting collaborative working techniques also shows that you trust your workforce to resolve issues on their own, increasing their confidence and independence. This will also help to promote a healthy psychological environment where a trusting management style encourages workers to tackle new tasks.
It can also be useful to create an atmosphere where mistakes are allowed to be made. We learn by making mistakes, so prohibiting them and punishing your employees is both counterproductive and unrealistic. Telling your employee they have made a mistake and showing them how to fix will not only prevent further complications but will also improve their resilience for when they next tackle that particular task.
How can employees help boost their own resilience?
Employees are able to help boost their own resilience, improving their own sense of purpose and building a positive outlook. One of the main ways they can do this is to ask for help when needed. Sharing resources and expertise is a great way to improve efficiency, helping you to learn new skills along the way. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Instead, it shows a willingness to learn and improve. If you feel that you lack the skills you need to improve the outcomes of tasks, ask your employer for further training to help improve results.
Adapt your working style if you find it not to be giving you the best outcome. Changing up your processes and procedures to be more efficient, especially after mistakes are made, is a great way to prevent problems and improve resilience. Carrying on with the same methods when it has proved not to be effective is counterproductive and will do nothing for your confidence.
The challenges of today’s business world
The world of business has changed dramatically in the past decade, with technology taking over every aspect of our working and personal lives. For many, work overspills into our personal space, as emails can be checked at home, late at night and even on holiday. The unpredictable economic climate is also causing fears amongst employees and business owners, contributing to poor mental health, resignations, financial loss, or perhaps worse.
There are always going to be challenges, stresses and pressures in the workforce; however, working to eliminate these as much as possible by promoting resilience can help significantly improve motivation and productivity. Not being afraid to make mistakes, and encouraging employees to learn from them in a safe and comfortable environment will help promote the successful mindset associated with resilience. Fostering a culture of positivity and a healthy work environment is essential in creating a happier, healthier and more efficient workforce that benefits everybody.
Menaca Pothalingam is a serial entrepreneur, ambassador for women empowerment, author and resilience strategist. Menaca successfully exited her healthcare practice after 23 years in the industry and decided to move into the world of coaching, putting her personal and professional experiences into practice.
Menaca has overcome adversity including escaping the Sri Lankan Civil War, battling stress-related illness and succeeding as a migrant Asian woman in business alongside being a single mother. With qualifications in NLP, hypnosis, coaching, leadership and education, Menaca is helping others to take control of their lives, break free from a victim mentality and turn their dreams into reality. For more information visit www.menaca.co.uk
