Don’t Tell Employees To Be Resilient. Enable Them.

I was writing and talking about the need for resilience in the face of constant change way back in 2019 before it became what I am now calling a “dirty word.” Overused and abused by bad bosses telling tired and fatigued employees to “Be resilient and just suck it up.”

The dirty word

With the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 the use of word became commonplace when talking about how individuals, communities, countries were dealing with the unprecedented situation in which they found themselves.

Yes, we dug deep and supported each other through the myriad of adversities we encountered. We accepted and adapted to the situations we faced. We learnt from setbacks and moved forward better because of them. All those behaviours are attributes of resilience but that does not mean that now the pandemic is dissipating we can be expected to continue to be resilient regardless of what is thrown at us.

“Don’t like the new hybrid working model? Just be resilient.

Finding the 60-hour week too much?. Just be resilient.

Burned out due to change fatigue? Just be resilient.”

This is how the bad bosses now use the term to tell employees that they are on their own and to just suck it up.

You have a duty of care for your employees. This is about employee mental wellbeing. After everything that has been experienced since the onset of the pandemic, this is time for employees to recharge not endure.

As a leader, you must ensure that every employee has the time and the resources to recharge. They must know how to do that and be supported to do it. Leaders must actively encourage it and lead by example. If you are always-on, your employees may assume that they must be too. You will burn-out and so will they.

The myths

In 2020, I did a series of videos on LinkedIn entitled “13 Reasons Why” which explored why every organisation needs to invest in building and sustaining a workforce that is resilient in the face of unprecedented change. You can find them on my YouTube channel. Just search for “13 Reasons.”

Before I did those recordings, I busted 5 myths about resilience.

1.    You have it or you don’t.

Resilience is not something you either have or don’t have. Resilience can be learned, practiced, and improved by everyone. Resilience involves behaviours, thoughts, and actions that everyone can learn and develop.

2.    Resilient people don’t get knocked down

Resilient people do get knocked down. They suffer setbacks just like everyone else. The difference is how they handle the situation. When they get knocked down, they don’t just bounce back, they bounce forward.

3.    Resilience is about dealing with the bad emotions

The ability to deal with the negative emotions is a key to being resilient but resilience also means being able to amplify the positive emotions. Resilient people are self-aware and able to self-regulate their emotions.

4.    Resilient people don’t need other people

Resilient people do not go it alone. Resilient people are so because they are connected to others, share, and have extensive support networks and resources available to them.

5.    Resilient people man up

This is not true. This infers that resilient people must suppress negative emotions or become insensitive to them. Resilience is not about experiencing the good and not the bad. It is about experiencing all that life has to offer.

The reasons why?

Much has been written about why you should invest in building a resilient workforce. That investment must be made now if you do not want to be just another statistic in The Great Resignation. The war for talent is back on in 2022 and it is the organisations that can demonstrate that they are committed to looking after the mental wellbeing of employees that will attract the talent they need to thrive let alone survive.

Employers wishing to be an employer of choice and retain their talent must take this seriously.

The World Economic Forum report “What do employees want most from their work life in 2022?” revealed that almost half of works are prepared to move to a new organisation to improve their wellbeing.

The report states: “With both talent shortages and hiring difficulties reaching a 15-year high, companies that invest in their employee experience will be well placed to retain existing staff and attract newcomers.

My 13 reasons in my series of articles in 2020 where:

1.    ROI

Spending money on building a resilient workforce returns dividends. Employee engagement increases and turnover decreases. Absenteeism and sick leave decrease, and productivity and motivation increase which leads to increased profitability.

2.    Stay out of jail

If an employer is found not to have invested in the well-being of their employees, they could be found guilty of breach workplace manslaughter laws.

3.    Be prepared

If we want our organisation to be successful and able to outride each storm when it hits, we need our people to be prepared. We cannot ask them to face constant, volatile, and uncertain change without providing the support to do so.

We need to enable them to be storm-riders.

4.    Cost

It is this simple. If you don’t invest in building and sustaining a resilient workforce, it will cost you dearly. You cannot afford not to do this.

5.    ICD-11

In May 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared burn-out in the workplace as an occupational phenomenon and included it in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

6.    Talent

The need to attract and retain talent in a competitive labour market will continue to intensify regardless of technological innovations through AI and automation. Developing a distinct employment brand and fostering a strong culture to attract and retain talent isn’t new, but it’s never been more critical.

7.    Engagement

A fundamental requirement for employees to feel engaged, enthusiastic, and invested in their work is to feel that their organisations and leaders truly care about them.

8.    Growth mindset and grit

Employers who have invested in developing and maintaining a workforce resilient in the face of constant change reap the benefits because of their employee’s growth mindset and grit.

9.    Optimism

Resilient people are realistic optimists. They believe that things can change for the better. Optimism helps increase resilience by reducing stress.

10. Competition

Organisations need to maintain a competitive advantage if they are to stay ahead of the competition and remain relevant.

Resilience provides a competitive advantage. A resilient workforce is not distracted and able to sense, innovate, adapt, respond, and work in an agile manner.

11. Focus

Resilience means that when we are under pressure, we are still able to focus and think clearly. Resilient individuals are self-aware and can control their emotions and responses to situations.

12. High performance

Resilient teams are high-performing teams. There is shared belief that they can effectively work together to complete tasks. As resilient individuals, they have confidence in their own ability to be successful, and as a team they have confidence in the combined abilities of the team.

13. Responsibility

Employers have a responsibility to invest in the education, support, and resources to ensure that the workforce can be resilient in the face of constant change.

The stigma

The biggest mistake organisations make is to invest in employee mental wellbeing resources such as apps, mental health first aiders, mindfulness classes, and meditation sessions.

Whilst these are all good things to provide, if there is a stigma about mental health in the workplace, they will not get utilised. Mental health stigma is the shame, prejudice, or discrimination toward those with mental health conditions. If an employee feels that if they are considered to have a mental health issue it will affect their colleagues’ attitude towards them, be detrimental to their career prospects. And adversely affect their relationship with their manager, they will not seek out help.

They will avoid being associated with any support or resources provided that seek to help employee wellbeing and resilience

The organisation must work intentionally to remove this stigma.

The only way the stigma is removed is through open and honest conversation and that must be led by leaders.

When leaders speak up about their stresses and anxieties, others will be prepared to do the same.

Only when we remove the stigma, will people reach out for help without fear of losing credibility or their job.

Some organisations are very proud that they have Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Officers in the workplace. However, if a stigma around mental health exists, the people who really need the help are unlikely to reach out. MHFA Officers are great to have but the stigma must be removed for the initiative to be fully effective.

Both in Australia and the US, roughly only half of workers are comfortable talking about their mental health at work.

Leaders must create an environment of psychological safety – an environment in which resilience can thrive. A psychological safe workplace is one where there is no fear of speaking up, reaching out for support, and being authentic.

The platform

Mental health in the workplace must be two things – holistic and contextual.

Holistic

Your mental wellbeing platform must be holistic and contextual. This is the time to stop kidding yourself that the sweat patch that tells employee they are stressed; the happy or sad wrist band; the gym membership; the mindfulness and meditation classes; the Friday yoga sessions; the gratitude app; will take care of employee mental wellbeing. It won’t.

Contextual

The platform must meet the needs of everyone in the organisation. Not everyone enjoys yoga or going to the gym. These can be part of the mental health platform, but it also needs to contain resources that are address the needs of everyone. It must be inclusive and support the entire organisation not just a portion of it. It must address the mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of wellbeing.

Organisations must also stop only concentrating on the effects of mental health issues in the workplace but give as much, if not more, attention to the causes.

You can read more about removing the cause in this article.

Summary

All leaders must have employee mental wellbeing as the priority. Not one of many priorities but the priority.

Employers have been grappling with the prevalence of health challenges in the workplace for a long time.

The events of 2020, 2021 and in 2022 raised the stakes due to a greater awareness of the workplace factors that contribute to poor mental health. Unfortunately, not enough has been done to address the issue. Employers must connect what they say to what they do. It is time to get serious about employee mental health.

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I am an organisational change management rebel with a cause. 

I am an author, sought after keynote speaker, coach mentor and facilitator. My latest and fourth book, "Balanced Diversity: A Portfolio Approach to Organisational Change" is available here.

I am passionate about enabling individuals and organisations to triumph in the face of constant and disruptive change and I do so through programs regarding organisational change, resilience, agility, leadership, transformation and adaptation.

To inquire about me working with you or your organisation please contact me here