Resilience in Organizations...in Uncertain Times
March 22, 2025
I've been thinking a lot about resilience…so much so that this is the first of two blog posts on the subject. You’ll find I’m deeply passionate about this.
I've been thinking a lot about resilience.
Right now, we’re in a time of upheaval and political change where women’s rights are being threatened, where it’s hard to be a Black employee, and where there’s a lot of racist and bigoted language going on whether you're Jewish or Black, or BIPOC. We’re all feeling it.
Resilience is how we adapt, how we recover and how we grow in the face of adversity and stress. It's emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, self awareness and developing/having a social support network. It’s helping people cultivate their inner strengths despite external pressures. It’s how we emerge stronger from our experiences.
And guess what? Emerging stronger happens to be possible for both individuals and organizations, supporting the entire ecosystem. It’s a sort of feedback loop:
"When your employees are resilient, so is your organization...
Who doesn’t want a resilient organization? More resilient organizations are able to adapt to change. And right now, we’re in a huge state of change. If your organization is adaptable, and your employees can emotionally regulate themselves, your business is going to be more successful. Isn’t that what we want?
Because without resilience, people feel silenced. Employees stop coming to your group events. You’ll notice it’s hard to get people together, and they’ll check out early from the office. They don’t feel like they have a safe place to speak up, which can then lead to increased turnover, employee detachment and ultimately, more company expense.
Employees won’t be engaged and passionate about their work. You’re going to generate a negative buzz in the market about how your company isn’t really a great place to work, and it’ll be harder to hire. It’s going to take more time to bring on the talent you want. You’re going to see a lack of trust, which will lead to a lack of innovation in your products. You’re going to struggle to motivate your employees to work hard when you really need them to. Their inability (unwillingness) to adapt and change is what will ultimately affect your products, your marketing,your ability (or inability) to hire, and eventually your revenue.
In organizations that lack resilience, increasing employee detachment shows up as energy leaving the organization. It feels dead; no energy. It sucks the life out of the organization. Leaders don’t realize that it’s a slow decline.
People get quiet when they believe there is no hope for them.
On the other hand, a resilient organization is one that’s thriving. But, how does one cultivate such an environment among so much disruption, threat and discrimination? How do you build resilience into the DNA of an organization, and how do you help your employees preserve their dignity? How do you help them reclaim agency over themselves when faced with so much turmoil externally?
I believe it always starts with your people.
Just begin by evaluating your workforce. Are they resilient? Can they regulate their own emotions? Do they reflect cognitive flexibility, self awareness and do they have social support?
By ensuring your employees are resilient, you form the foundation of a resilient organization. And in order to help do that, HR leaders can use psychology techniques and practices available in order to navigate diversity and justice.
There is an interesting concept in psychology called “deliterization”, which is to see thoughts as they truly are, not what you believe they are. Basically, it’s the ability to separate yourself from your emotions; to let them pass and not become entrenched or to encroach on your whole being. It’s allowing your emotion to move forward.
A lot of people talk about mindfulness and meditation, but that’s really about emotional regulation. As I mentioned, on an individual level, resilience results from cognitive flexibility, or a growth mindset vs. fixed (a growth mindset believes that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning while a fixed mindset believes that abilities are innate and unchangeable). It also comes from building one’s own awareness and expanding one’s social network.
I believe that helping an organization and its employees maintain resilience involves two psychology techniques. One is a human centered approach which is being human, listening to others and letting them find and solve solutions on their own. The other is using positive psychology, where things are reframed in a positive way.
You obviously have to temper these approaches with structure and policies. You can't just avoid difficult conversations. But, people can still feel a part of the conversation. Despite policies, or a government that's encroaching on people's rights, as an HR leader, you can still cultivate an organization that provides an inclusive space. I don't think executives, CEOs, and HR leaders need to bow to external pressure, especially if it’s fundamental, systematic discrimination.
Business leaders have a voice. I think they have a strong voice, and can stand up for their employees and the kind of culture and organization they want to build. And then this, in turn, will give employees hope that change is possible, and that their employers support them. If your employees are able to retain their hope, they will naturally cultivate who they are, their identity, and how they’re seen in the world.
And, employees who know themselves make up organizations that know themselves, stand up for what they believe in and become great places to work. So, let’s get started! Do you want this organization; one that’s resilient, and where your employees are engaged, innovative and moving your organization forward? In my next post, Part II, I’m sharing specific tactics and approaches that help you do just that.
Some books I love for resilience:
* The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., explores the connection between trauma, resilience, and the body.
* Self Compassion by Kristin Neff is a great resource for treating yourself with kindness.
* Mindset by Carol Dweck explores how to cultivate a growth mindset.
