In our work with teams and organizations, resilience is a key focus area when it comes to priming teams to navigate growth. Why? Growth, individually and collectively, does not come without challenges, unexpected evolutions, and, dare I say it, failures. Resilient teams not only weather the storms of change but also leverage their momentum to move through the Launch Point and up the S Curve, coming out of the storm stronger than before the change started—they experience growth not in spite of the storm but because of it.
Growth requires resiliency. As such, at Disruption Advisors, we have identified Resilient as one of the four elements of an Ecosystem for Growth, outlined in the Smart Growth Framework. A Resilient ecosystem is one that supports individuals and teams so they can recover quickly from difficulties and turn mistakes into opportunities. Team members feel supported and able to overcome personal and professional challenges. To that end, let’s review what it takes to be Resilient, the importance of having a healthy ecosystem, and how to lay the foundation thereof.
The Components of Being Resilient
What does it take to be Resilient? It requires four subcomponents working together based on the challenge experienced. Resilient teams do the following:
- Prevail over barriers – Mistakes and challenges are addressed while continuing to demonstrate growth and produce quality work.
- Align expectations – Expectations for output are aligned with the team’s capacity.
- Embrace feedback – Open communication is valued and viewed as an opportunity to grow and learn.
- Have a breadth of support – Team members have access to a variety of resources and people who can support them.
When these four components are part of the environment created by and surrounding a team, the team is Resilient. Its ecosystem is more likely to support the growth of the individual team members and the team collectively. But just like each subcomponent of Resilient cannot stand alone, neither does Resilient when discussing a healthy ecosystem. It too relies on other elements.
The Importance of a Healthy Ecosystem
A healthy ecosystem, or an Ecosystem for Growth, is dependent on how Conducive, Connected, Resilient, and Nurturing the environment is. The ecosystem a team creates and in which team members operate plays a significant role in determining how ready the team and its members are for growth.
Think about people and teams like plants. When a seed lands in a crack in concrete, a rose can only grow so much (if at all) before the ecosystem prohibits further development. Comparatively, when that same seed lands in a tilled garden, a rose has all of the necessary elements to blossom into an ever-growing rose bush.
The seed—the team—is the same, but the final growth is very different depending on the environment.
Building a healthy ecosystem, one that will allow your team members and the team as a whole to blossom, doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not a checklist of things to do—it relies heavily on the actions, behaviors, and thoughts of leaders themselves. But you don’t have to start with all four elements. You can start laying the foundation for a healthy ecosystem by focusing on just one: Resilient.
Laying the Foundation for a Healthy Ecosystem
As a leader, before you can focus on the experience your team is having, it’s important to take time for self-reflection on each of the four subdimensions of resiliency. Sometime this week, grab a quiet moment and reflect on your relationship with Resilient and how you’re creating a Resilient ecosystem for your team.
Prevailing Over Barriers
- How do you navigate headwinds and barriers? What are some effective strategies that have worked in the past? What strategies would you like to try in the future?
Aligning Expectations
- Jot down five to 10 expectations you have of yourself. Do you have the capacity to meet these expectations? What might you adjust to align your expectations and your ability to deliver?
- Write down five to 10 expectations you hold for your team. Do they have the capacity to meet these expectations? How might you realign expectations and capacity?
Breadth of Support
- Reflect on the network of people who you regularly rely on for support, insight, and counsel. Then, consider the breadth of support your team has access to. Are there people you haven’t engaged in your team’s work but could?
Embracing Feedback
- What feedback have you received? Jot down how the feedback impacted your thoughts and feelings. How might you incorporate the feedback? What feedback might you discard?
Building an environment that fosters resiliency is no small feat. Shifting team culture and behavior can feel daunting, but remember that every transformative change starts with the individual. You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Invest time to intentionally reflect on each element of resiliency, and then focus your attention on what your team needs most.
Our Smart Growth Framework maps your team’s growth while providing structure and support tailored to your team’s needs, empowering and increasing individual, team, and organizational growth. You, as a leader, can take the first steps to building the muscle among your team, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.
Interested in partnering with our team of experts on your journey to resiliency? Reach out today!
