WORKING DURING A CRISIS/
Resilience & Upskilling By Kevin Broom, PESA
E
very business has a plan. It’s constructed with care, calculation and deep thought. And then a pandemic breaks out during a price war between oil production giants, and companies are suddenly forced to ask, what will we do when the plan doesn’t apply? The current crisis has created a situation that emphasizes the need for businesses to focus on reinforcing a resilient company culture and investing in helping employees upskill to be prepared for the aftermath. At its core, resilience is about the ability to create new plans and continue working even when business goes in directions we didn’t expect or anticipate. Companies that succeed through a major upheaval such as what’s happening now are ones that have people who can think on their feet, adapt to changing circumstances and quickly acquire the news skills required for the new environment. Fortunately, research shows that resilience is a skill, not a personality trait. Like any skill, individuals can develop it with time and intentional thought and practice. What makes a person resilient, according to “Psychology Today,” are optimism, the ability to regulate emotions and the ability to see failure as a form of feedback. Think Thomas Edison’s famous quote, “I have not failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.” Psychologists believe that resilience is an ordinary skill – one that anyone can learn and develop with time, training and effort. While many companies have invested in helping employees upskill to transition to digital technologies, helping valued workers build resilience is critical for navigating a crisis. There are four core components where companies can help their teams become more resilient. CONNECTION
Experts recommend prioritizing relationships and fostering an empathetic and understanding work environment. Team members should feel they’re not alone in the struggle to adapt or in their emotional responses to stress. 26
Energy Connection/Q2 2020
Managers can help create a positive environment by being trustworthy and compassionate. WELLNESS Encourage team members to take care of their minds and bodies. Ideally, healthy living is the norm, but it’s more important than ever during a crisis. Eat well, engage in mindfulness activities such as journaling, yoga or meditation, recall things for which you’re grateful, and avoid negative behaviors such as drugs and alcohol. HEALTHY THINKING Especially during a crisis, it’s important for leaders and team members to be conscious of how they’re thinking. Specifically, psychologists recommend identifying irrational thought patterns and cognitive biases such as a tendency to catastrophize. A diverse team could have advantages in this area because of different ways of approaching issues and challenges. Other keys include accepting circumstances that are beyond the team’s control to enable greater focus on things that can be altered, maintaining a hopeful attitude, and learning from the past. Change is a normal part of life – even extraordinary events – and reminding each other of past difficulties can help the team find the strength to expect good things to happen. MEANING AND PURPOSE Among the bigger hazards during a crisis are the loss of hope and feelings of helplessness. A key to maintaining motivation through difficulties is infusing the day-to-day tasks with an overarching resolve giving the work purpose. Meaningful work inspires passion, which fuels the team to be proactive about setting goals and taking steps toward achieving them. A good question for a leader to put to herself and her team is, “What’s one thing we can accomplish today that helps us move in the direction we need to go?” For an OFS company, the purpose could be something like, “Our mission is to provide the world with the energy it needs to overcome the pandemic and fuel the economic recovery.” This mission contextualizes the day-to-day
