Building Skills- Resilience at work

Resiliency is not just an attribute to be pulled out of the closet in times of personal challenge. Resilience is a trait that is key to being a high functioning contributor in the current work climate.

Resiliency is a skill that can, usually, be built but is rarely invested in by employers. Team members that are highly resilient can assist the team to move forward in times of change, can support and encourage others during times of discouragement and can also be a key contributor to a culture of community and psychological safety.

Building resilience also supports customer service.

So, how do we increase the resiliency of our people? By addressing each pillar of resiliency as an asset and attribute to the growth of your people and the dealership.

There are 5 key pillars to being resilient, they are:

• Self-awareness

• Mindfulness

• Self-care

• Positive relationships

• Purpose.

1) Self Awareness- Most people think they are highly self-aware, but statistics show that the average person does not have a high EQ, and that Emotional Intelligence is one of the most significant areas for growth opportunity. Research done by Travis Bradberry, who is the author of “Emotional Intelligence 2.0,” suggests that only about 36% of people have the ability to understand and interpret emotion. Providing learning opportunities around Emotional Intelligence can assist your team in responding to demanding situations, improving communication, and having more impactful interactions. This is especially true for management, leadership, and high-touch customer roles. Having self-awareness can guide individuals through not just their actions but their reactions too.

2) Mindfulness- Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. Providing tips, tools, and resources to assist people in being fully present can help ensure that efficient, productive, and focused work is completed without the depletion of personal energy, mental health or disengagement.

3) Self-Care- Especially important around the holiday season, self-care can be one area of health and wellness that is easily overlooked in a work context. Having check-ins with staff that you may know struggle with the holiday season, or those that are exhibiting changes in behaviour can be a way to ensure that they remain resilient. Training your team to watch for signs of strain, stress or even distress in each other also promotes a stronger sense of belonging and feelings of value. Self-care activities can be taught to those that often overlook the care of themselves in order to care for each other, can also be embedded in their daily work activities. Self-care does not need to mean "personal pampering", in fact regular common activities like eating well, getting proper rest, spending social time, and moving around throughout the day are much healthier ways of maintaining self-care than a day at the spa or "spoiling" yourself sporadically.

4) Positive Relationships- This can relate to both work and personal situations. Having positive relationships at work is about respect, growth, and esteem. This does not mean that everyone in the dealership needs to be best friends. Having a culture of respect, freedom to contribute, sense of belonging and professionalism can provide people with the positive relationships they need to increase their resilience and face change and challenges with confidence.

5) Purpose- This can be the most significant contribution to resilience that we can make as employers. Be sure that there is regular feedback and communication on how their role and participation fits the "big picture." Asking team members how they see their contributions and instilling a sense of purpose in EVERY role is critical to resiliency. Ask yourself this- Why would you commit to seeing anything through, if there was no purpose or point to it for you?

Ensuring that staff are aware of their purpose, the purpose of initiatives, and the reason for change can help to increase enthusiasm, engagement, and participation. Having to abide by change for the sake of change is a resiliency depletor.

If you are considering skills building for your team, resiliency is a suitable place to start. This can set the foundation for future growth and the determination that may be needed to take on learning other new skills.

We assist our subscribers in skills building for their team, so please email us at info@dealerpilothr.com to find out more about the 5 Pillars of Resilience and how you can increase this skill at your dealership.