From the inside out: 6 ways to cultivate resiliency in the workplace

Employees cannot develop inner strength and resiliency overnight. But like most initiatives, small actions add up, ultimately relieving stress and preventing burnout.

Create positive, supportive leaders: In life and work, the path to success is rarely linear. Supportive leaders choose to be flexible, actively listen, and ask sincere questions when obstacles arise. It starts at the top: when executives promote organizational values loud and proud, it can help set the standard for everyone.
Promote work-life balance: Since the very first stay-at-home mandates nearly two years ago, workers are finding it harder and harder to compromise on their family and leisure time. Especially for working parents and those who care for an elderly family member, there's no turning back. Work-life balance is critical to navigate the logistics of modern life, but also essential to complete personal goals and find true fulfillment. Whether it's a half-hour coffee break or a half-month vacation, encourage employees to disconnect.
Encourage physical activity and healthy habits: Regular exercise, even in small doses at light intensity, has undeniable benefits for health, wellbeing, productivity, and lifespan. Offering paid gym memberships is great, but the hardest part is making it a habit. Find creative ways to put activity on the calendar, if only to keep the goal top of mind.
Provide autonomy and empowerment: Stress and exhaustion often get employees stuck in a disempowered cycle that is hard to break. Reminding employees of their purpose, competence, and power to make decisions in their role can help them regain a sense of autonomy. Most employees want to succeed in their responsibilities and take on new challenges; they just need a little nudge of optimism to make it happen. Additionally, it's important for employers to seek feedback from their workers with the intention of sincerely finding opportunities to improve.
Offer professional development: There's nothing like learning new skills and achieving a goal to boost employee self-esteem. Partnering with employees in their effort to gain knowledge shows you care about them as a whole person. When people are empowered to stay on top of their industry and follow their curiosity, they develop a learning mindset which transforms obstacles into puzzles and challenges into games.
Lead by example: People learn in all different ways, but modeling and mentorship are amazingly effective. When leaders hold themselves to the same standards as their reports, it says "We're in this together." Think of employees entering the workforce for the first time, changing careers to a new industry, or even being recently promoted with new learning moments every day. Modeling resilient behavior can be a lightbulb moment, teaching employees how to choose positivity amid uncertainty.

Resiliency is essential to thrive in today's fast-paced work environment. While the pace won't slow, it is up to organizational leaders to decrease the pressure. Executive attitudes, HR policies, and benefits strategy work together to help employees manage their stress levels. Creating an employee experience that celebrates the individual, their productivity as well as their peace, will increase resiliency in their workforce.

Instant Insights /

Employee burnout is high (on par with levels at the height of the pandemic)

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