We have learned a tough lesson over the last few months — uncertainty and change will always be a constant part of our lives and businesses. The degree of impact can be small, affecting us in little ways, or it can be drastic, shifting our entire perspective on how we do things. Sometimes change gives us greater opportunities, but at other times it creates a negative impact.
In the end, though, it’s not about how change affects us and by how much, but about how we can get back up and how fast we can adapt whenever we face new challenges. It takes resilience to brave adversity and overcome it, but the most important element of resilience is our mindset.
Dr C Terry Warner, the founder of the Arbinger Institute, offers an interesting concept of mindset. Each individual, he says, has an inward and an outward mindset. Being inward means our focus is on ourselves and our own goals, with no regard to other people’s goals or the impact we have on others. Being outward, on the other hand, means our focus is on working together toward our own goals and those of others collectively.
The most important thing to understand about the concept of the inward and outward mindset is that there’s nothing wrong in being more of one than the other. The fact is that we have both mindsets and how we deploy each one shifts depending on the situation and how we feel.
In any case, I want to focus today on the outward mindset, by sharing four keys to building resilience in ourselves as well as in the people in our teams, so that we can survive change and sustain business growth.
The first key is self-awareness and perspective. Change happens and it can happen unexpectedly. People — and even the organisation as a whole — react differently to change and this comes from our own perspective and experiences. Being aware of how we feel and react in a situation is important in building up resilience.
By becoming self-aware, we understand our own emotional state but also are able to shift our perspective toward what others are seeing and feeling. This is especially important for the overall organisation as it is driven by people, and greater awareness allows us to view things in a more objective way.
The second key is collaboration toward shared goals. In anything we do, we cannot do it all on our own. When we face new challenges as an individual or as an organisation, we don’t face it alone. In fact, if we want to sustain the business, we shouldn’t be doing it alone. Resilience isn’t about facing pain and struggles alone. If we want to get back up faster, we need to depend on one another for support.
The reality is that collaboration allows each individual to collectively work together toward shared goals more effectively. When your people feel that they have a strong support system, their motivation will stay high and they’ll be able to recover from adversity faster.
The third key is accountability and responsibility. Resilience isn’t only about being able to overcome challenges; it is also about being accountable and responsible for your decisions and actions. This is because resilience is also about learning from both successes and failures. Without accountability, we will end up avoiding or running away from all the challenges we face.
While your people are accountable for their own decisions and actions, business leaders must also stay accountable for the organisation. There is nothing more empowering for people in the organisation than when their leaders act as role models for change, especially at a time of uncertainty.
The final key is influence and impact. Understanding how our actions influence and impact others opens us to seeking the necessary feedback on our tasks and on ways to improve going forward. It helps with our resilience in a way that strengthens our skills to face and overcome tougher situations.
Mindset is the basis of who we are and the opportunities we create for ourselves. But most importantly, mindset is the basis of our resilience in the face of change and adversity. Changes in our world are constant but we cannot stay in one place if we want to survive and succeed. The good news is, mindset is something we can all learn to develop no matter what our capabilities may be. The possibility lies in whether or not we choose to shift or not.
Arinya Talerngsri is Chief Capability Officer and Managing Director at SEAC - Southeast Asia’s Lifelong Learning Center. She can be reached by email at arinya_t@seasiacenter.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinya-talerngsri-53b81aa. Explore and experience our lifelong learning ecosystem today at https://www.yournextu.com
