Resilient In The Workplace And Beyond
Today’s examination of ways to expand on your resiliency takes a holistic approach, considering ways both in and out of the workplace to create a more resilient you. You don’t have to tackle that task alone–and shouldn’t be! Know that within your workplace, you have your professional community to turn to in both your co-workers and your employers. And you can always reach out to your greater support network beyond. As the saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” A phenomenal way to achieve and amplify your resilience wherever you are is to make sure you’re turning towards those whose areas of expertise complement your areas of opportunity for insights. Today’s suggestions and methods from the pros focus on these elements of persistence to help you develop your ability to bounce back quickly at work and beyond.
In her article on “Seven Things Resilient Employees Do Differently” at Psychology Today, Paula Davis-Laack J.D., M.A.P.P. points out a key trick for resilient employees: “They develop high-quality connections. One big building block of resilience is connection, but not just any old connection. High-quality relationships are critical to resilience. According to business and psychology professor, Jane Dutton, there are four distinct pathways for building high-quality connections at work. The first is respectfully engaging others by communicating supportively and being an effective listener. Second, facilitate another person’s success with guidance, recognition, and support. Third, build trust, which can be done by relying on another person to follow through on projects and other commitments.” Make sure you’re both listening and speaking to your colleagues to ensure the strongest connections; communication is a two-way street. Express your needs while also keeping in mind that you will need to support others. And the practice you get at building up these kinds of connections in your workplace is a skill that you can apply to all the other areas of your life.
Brenda Wong at Debut also offers up this stellar tip for building up your resilience: “Try to establish a good work/life balance. You know what’ll take a toll on you? A bad work/life balance. Here’s why: if your life’s purpose is tied to only one thing, you’ll be worse for wear when you encounter things that knock that purpose. It’s like what they say, right? Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Find hobbies outside of work that bring you joy. Find a side hustle that fulfills you. Nurture the relationships you have with others outside the office, and try new things. Having a good work/life balance will help you build resilience at work because it’ll help you see that there’s just more to life. After all, you can hash out the stress from the day at the gym, or bake your worries away.” These slower moments while the world proceeds through unprecedented circumstances provide a perfect time to dive into all of your interests, especially the ones you don’t get to focus on while on the clock! While it may feel strange to focus on fun, doing so is a necessary component of developing a holistic and balanced sense of resilience. And while staying mentally present in your workplace interactions is a fundamental component of success, we know that having something to look forward to after your workday or work week can help provide an extra bit of a mood boost.
While current events are certainly unprecedented circumstances, they won’t last forever. Take the time now to develop a greater sense of resiliency to serve you when we come out on the other side–together. So make sure that while you’re completing your professional tasks, you’re cultivating strong connections with everyone around you in your workplace community. We know that there’s more to your life than just your work. In order to show up as your best self when you’re on the clock, make sure you’re cultivating your strengths and interests in other areas of your life, too. This holistic approach will ensure you’re arriving to work every day as your best self. Join us again tomorrow as we finish off the week with our Feel Good Friday: Resilience edition.
Image retrieved from Pixabay under the public domain.
This posting is brought to you by Contemporaries Inc., one of the best temp agencies in Boston MA. Also available for payrolling employees in Boston and Greater Boston
Recent Posts
The Selfless Spirit
Ambition can be a great motivator but your actual actions should not be based on personal gain in the workplace, rather with a selflessness that moves the team and organization forward. This constructive quality over one's ego is one that distinguishes a responsible...
The Team Comes First
Sayings like 'the customer is always right' or 'first' may be rooted in the positive goal of satisfying the customer, but your team should come first. Dede Henley observes in her Forbes article on inspiring teams that "it’s common sense, isn’t it? Fight for your...
Asking the Right Questions: “How might we…”
The way questions are framed can encourage constructive ideas from your team. In a Forbes article on inspiring teams, Dede Henley suggests that starting the questions with, "How might we..." rather can "How do we..." can draw out questions "that get people to expand...
Constructively handle Concerns
There are always reasons to have concerns about a project. In fact, professional project managers will often formally divide these concerns into risk and uncertainty. Some risks can be managed by tracking them and preparing for them. For instance, if your project...
Feeling good on the job starts at home with a good nights rest
Feeling good on the job starts at home with a good nights rest. According to the National Sleep Foundation, "those with excellent sleep health are nearly 3.5 times more likely to report feeling well-rested on a typical weekday than those with poor sleep health." ...
Productivity is a Process
Even when you have effective methods for getting work done, the process of being more productive is an ongoing one. It may be tempting to fall into an "if it ain't broke don't fix it” mindset, but there are usually better ways of doing things. Many simply require...
Resume Tips: Keep it Clean, Clear & Simple
When writing your resume, keep it clean, clear and simple. Your prospective employer shouldn't have to riffle through pages or try to decipher your meaning. One clear page is better than several with unnecessary information. A clean resume is a pleasure to look at....
Interview edge? practice common questions
If you are looking to build your confidence before an interview, the surest way to feeling secure about what you'll say on the day is to practice. While you may not know exactly your interviewers will ask, there are common questions that come up again and again....
Presentation Tip 1: Practice out loud
Presenting your ideas effectively in the workplace is important, especially when delivering your views in a meeting. There are a number of steps you can take to build your confidence and improve your performance but simply practising OUT LOUD remains an effective...
The fundamental role of the team leader
When you take charge of a team, it is of paramount importance to understand member capabilities in relation to the project or team objectives. Once this is understood, its the role of the team leader to ensure that the conditions are set and implemented for utilizing...
Effective communication is a two way process
Many pitfalls can be avoided simply through improved communication between colleagues and stakeholders. A clear understanding of roles and expectations can help prevent unnecessary work and ensure that everyone is on the same page. In the healthcare sector, such...
Microsoft Word Tip 5: Add a Table of Contents
When preparing a paper, manual or report for work that involves more than one section to it, the addition of a ‘table of contents’ can help the reader get to exactly what they need. Including this roadmap also adds a polished quality to your work and can be done in a...
Microsoft Word Tip 4: Quick Charts
Visuals can make your report easier to understand and allow you to show off polished presentation skills at work. In earlier versions of Microsoft Word, you would need to link your word document to a separate Excel file to convert a simple list into a pie chart or...
Microsoft Word Tip 2: Built-in Save to PDF
There was a time when exporting your Word document to PDF required extra software that effectively pretended to be a printer. Those days are gone. Now transforming your word document file into a sleek and professional PDF can be done with three clicks of the mouse....