Following our recent Let’s Talk on Leading Resilient Teams we are reflecting further on how leaders create a team culture of self care, an agility to change and for managing ambiguity.
The shades of autumn are changing as we transition from autumn further into winter but whilst the seasons change the need for continued resilience does not. In our first experience of lockdown, themes of resilience and well-being rightly rose to the fore, becoming a necessary priority for us as individuals, teams, and organisations.
But as this ‘pandemic season’ prolongs, many of us are facing fresh challenges to not just survive but to thrive in an environment with a constant demand for a high adrenaline and action-orientated approach to our ways of working.
We can’t afford to take the foot off the pedal for resilience. The need for resilience remains as important for teams as ever. Acknowledging the need to proactively devote time to build a culture of self-care whilst dealing with the many uncertainties is a vital investment for us as individuals, leaders, and teams in these challenging times.
Such issues were explored at one of Taylor’s Clarke most recent Let’s Talk events. Leaders and HRD/OD professionals from across many sectors in Scotland shared their responses to a range of factors influencing their own leadership and team resilience.
Emerging areas of discussion centred around some of the underpinning principles and practises of resilience, including:
Culture of Self Care What do you do as a leader to create a culture of self-care?
Persistence & Ambiguity How do you as a leader help the team face setbacks? How do you regroup and stay on track or adapt towards achieving your collective outcomes?
Staying Connected How do you as a leader instil a sense of belonging, co-operation and support in your team?
Change Agility As a leader, how well do you promote change agility and role model embracing change?
Taking time out to consider the overarching influence of resilience at all levels on well-being and productivity can allow us to remain authentic, share our vulnerability and our desire to optimise our team’s well-being and resilience… and this includes our own resilience as leaders.
So let’s ask you: how can you nurture, protect and grow resilience in your teams?
You need to focus on developing your own skills:
· Start by developing self-care and leadership resilience. Take time out to self-reflect (and share with others) ways in which to develop and harness your personal resilience before examining ways to lead the team to enhanced resilience.
· Remain flexible in your thoughts, feelings and behaviours as the world goes into another extended period of pressure and disruption. This will leave you stronger, wiser and more able to lead your teams to thrive.
· Be a positive role model of resilience and agility to adapt. Be authentic and deploy your values and strengths for the benefit of the team.
· Lead robust, solutions-orientated conversations to support a culture of self-care, capability and connectedness amongst and between teams.
Those who proactively invest time to strengthen their self-resilience and the resilience of their team(s) are more likely to go beyond simply surviving – to thriving – in this season and beyond.
Let’s Talk 1-to-1: If you are interested in learning more about how Taylor Clarke can help you do some of the above and develop ways in which you can build that vital resilience in your teams then please click here to set up a chat with one of our consultants
Taylor Clarke have also been developing a number of other materials and resources to help your teams in other areas. If you are interested in finding out more about the other ways we can help your teams, please visit our Taking Care of Your Teams virtual learning hub page.
In the meantime, stay safe and don’t forget: take care of yourself and your teams!