Resilience is often described as the ability to bounce back after facing some difficulty. Or getting back up when you fall. Recent research by Lawton Smith (2017) suggests that resilience is actually more than bounce-back from past events. It also includes acceptance about the current reality whilst being able to envision the future.
There has been considerable attention paid to building resilience in workplaces. This is not surprising as characteristics of resilient staff include being more adaptable, enjoying their job more and having a good work-life balance. And as a result, resilient staff are more productive when at work.
If you are working with a coachee who would benefit from developing their resilience, then focusing attention on the following 4 areas can help your coachee achieve results.
Positive relationships
Building positive relationships with colleagues and managers
Being able to ask for help when needed
Having a sense of belonging to your team
Positive relationships with friends and family outside of work
Knowledge and skills (high levels of competence in work roles)
It is important to develop competence levels within our job role
Being open to learning helps
Setting realistic goals for improvement
Building Emotional Intelligence
Understanding our own emotional triggers and being able to self-manage them
Understanding the impact our emotions have on others
Being prepared to see something from another perspective
Sense of humour
Taking a positive attitude
Being able to challenge own negative thoughts
Finding the learning opportunities in difficult situations and/or failure
Focus on accountability and responsibility
Avoid blaming others
Final thoughts
Lawton Smith’s research (2017) also highlights the following barriers to building resilience that need to be discussed prior to embarking on a coaching for resilience programme with your coachee:
It takes high levels of energy to build resilience
If personal values are being compromised at work then coaching may be ineffective
If the organisational culture leans towards workoverload then this needs to be addressed with the organisation first.
References
Lawton Smith C., (2017) Coaching for leadership resilience, an integrated approach, International Coaching Psychology Review
What is resilience?
Resilience is often described as the ability to bounce back after facing some difficulty. Or getting back up when you fall. Recent research by Lawton Smith (2017) suggests that resilience is actually more than bounce-back from past events. It also includes acceptance about the current reality whilst being able to envision the future.
There has been considerable attention paid to building resilience in workplaces. This is not surprising as characteristics of resilient staff include being more adaptable, enjoying their job more and having a good work-life balance. And as a result, resilient staff are more productive when at work.
If you are working with a coachee who would benefit from developing their resilience, then focusing attention on the following 4 areas can help your coachee achieve results.
Positive relationships
Knowledge and skills (high levels of competence in work roles)
Building Emotional Intelligence
Taking a positive attitude
Final thoughts
Lawton Smith’s research (2017) also highlights the following barriers to building resilience that need to be discussed prior to embarking on a coaching for resilience programme with your coachee:
References
Lawton Smith C., (2017) Coaching for leadership resilience, an integrated approach, International Coaching Psychology Review