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Key Steps in Creating a Culture of Resilience for Organizations

AUTHORED BY:

MILONEE PAREKH | KNOLSKAPE EDITORAL TEAM

Organizations that are resilient don’t merely recover after adversity or change—they progress. They absorb the shocks and transform those same shocks into opportunities to achieve inclusive, sustainable growth. Leaders and teams in organizations with cultural resilience swiftly analyze the situation, reposition, build on what is working, and abandon what is not, when problems arise.

However, it can be challenging to foster such cultural resilience—particularly in the present, when corporate executives, front-line employees, and business divisions are all experiencing several disruptions at once. (Consider the conflict in Ukraine, the weakening of markets, and the ensuing Great Talent Attrition, as well as the growing body of data on climate change).

This most recent wave of unfavorable circumstances and change is frustrating in its own peculiar manner. After all, how frequently have economic downturns been accompanied by skill shortages, for instance, or been caused by supply chain issues? However, in practice, both organizational resilience and transformation have no expiration date. The need for teams to achieve results more quickly will always be present, as will greater levels of unpredictability and change. Companies that foster organizational resilience can outperform rivals by a wide margin over time. This advantage can come from both opportunities and crises.

WHAT IS CULTURAL RESILIENCE?

Cultural resilience recognizes that individuals and communities get resilience and strength from their cultural heritage as well as from their own personal characteristics. It acknowledges the value of culture, which includes ethics, language, practices, and norms, in guiding people and communities through difficulties and hardship.

Cultural resilience emphasizes the manner in which cultural elements influence people’s capacity to deal with challenging situations and overcome adversity. When used in reference to organizations, it means having the capacity to thrive in the face of hardship while retaining its own cultural identity, principles, and practices. By utilizing its cultural assets and promoting a positive and resilient work environment, it comprises the organization’s ability to tolerate and overcome difficulties, disturbances, and changes.

AN EXAMPLE OF ORGANIZATION DEMONSTARTING CULTURAL RESILENCE

The renowned conglomerate TATA Group has a strong corporate culture that places an emphasis on honesty, social responsibility, and community involvement. During the horrific 26/11 tragedy, TATA employees joined together, demonstrating these cultural values. This incident, though it happened years ago, shook the world.

The staff of the TATA Group’s landmark Taj Mahal Palace Hotel demonstrated extraordinary bravery and resiliency when it was attacked by terrorists. Many hotel employees put their own lives in danger to protect the security and welfare of the visitors. With a strong sense of responsibility and compassion, they led people to safety, offered solace, and even protected visitors from harm.

The employees’ actions during the attacks reflected their commitment to the organization’s cultural values. Their resilience was rooted in a shared understanding of their role as custodians of TATA’s legacy, entrusted with upholding the highest standards of service, even in the face of extreme danger.

HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS FOSTER A CULTURE OF RESILIENCE?

Understanding that culture transformation is a large-scale change in behavior is essential to building a resilient culture. Leaders who are culturally agile know how to impact those behaviors by promoting three crucial aspects of their business practices.

| BE DISRUPTIVE

Leaders must constantly assess their organizations’ operations and actively welcome any external disturbances that may arise. They need to “beat” disruption by disrupting their own behavior, including their beliefs, morals, behaviors, and business practices. A syndicated industry research discovered after profiling more than 150,000 professionals that self-disruptive leaders are adept at A.D.A.P.T., or:

- Anticipate – demonstrate contextual intelligence to make quick judgments and create opportunities
- Drive – energize people by fostering a sense of purpose
- Accelerate – manage the flow of knowledge to produce constant innovation
- Partner – connect and form partnerships across functional and organizational boundaries
- Trust – bring people together with tremendous diversity and secure their commitment

Self-disruptive leaders are always seeking ways to better and thoughtfully push both themselves and their teams to higher levels of performance. They serve as role models for the attitudes that it’s acceptable to have knowledge gaps and that it’s crucial to keep learning and developing. This strategy gradually fosters a resilient culture.

| DEVELOP AN INCLUSIVE MINDSET

It is no longer enough to have an “open mindset” culture. Creating a culture of resilience requires companies to unlock the collective intelligence of their people by creating psychological safety at scale at every level. Employees need to believe that it is safe to take risks and express opinions and ideas within a team or organization. When psychological safety is present, people are more likely to speak up, share new ideas, and take risks. This in turn leads to better decision-making, higher-quality work, and increased innovation. Following five elements can help leaders to become more inclusive:

- - Emotional resilience – ability to stay composed in the face of adversity and difficulty around differences
  - Self-assurance – radiating confidence and optimism
  - Flexibility – tolerating ambiguity and being adaptable to diverse needs
  - Inquisitiveness – being open to differences, curious, and practicing empathy
  - Authenticity – having humility and establishing trust in the face of opposing beliefs

These factors make it possible for inclusive leaders to cultivate a workplace where every employee feels appreciated and supported. Organizations can become more flexible and responsive to change as a result of having a feeling of community and a common purpose. Therefore, inclusive leadership is essential for creating strong organizations.

| MODIFY YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON CHANGE

The top-down approach to make changes in management can frequently make employees angry because they believe they are being pushed to change rather than given the chance to adapt and advance. Driving change increasingly involves entering uncharted new areas by overcoming established, deeply ingrained patterns of working. How can enterprises then unleash the potential of their workforce to achieve previously unimaginable levels of innovation, disruption, and differentiation? One important realization is that systemic change calls for perseverance and leaders who are committed to igniting a movement within organizations. Companies can learn from successful social movements’ top-down, bottom-up, and peer-to-peer approaches to change-management.

However, a social movement’s effectiveness depends on a combination of all three strategies. How, therefore, can today’s leaders draw inspiration from social movements to speed up the tipping point of change for their organizations while promoting resilience?

- Start with people’s dissatisfaction with the status quo to persuade them to support your movement. Change begins when individuals feel that something has to be improved, not when they are told to do anything. The most effective change agents recognize that emotions come first, and only then do they act.

- Create believers by imagining a future filled with significance. The people who can frame the future they want in a way that inspires an emotional response are the most effective movement makers.

- Recognize early wins, no matter how small, to help you feel more capable of achieving long-term objectives.

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS AFFECTING CULTURAL RESILIENCE IN ORGANIZATIONS?

The degree of cultural resilience within businesses can be influenced by a number of factors. These elements influence the organization’s capacity for change, problem-solving, and upholding a strong sense of identity and mission. Here are some key factors that can affect cultural resilience in organizations:

| LEADERSHIP

Forging cultural resilience requires strong leadership. Leaders may motivate staff and boost organizational resilience by modeling and promoting the company’s cultural values, acting with fortitude themselves, and giving clear instructions when things are tough.

| SHARED VALUES AND BELIEFS

Companies with well-defined shared values and beliefs have a more solid base for cultural resilience. Employees who share these values are more likely to remain dedicated and strong during trying times since they are aware of how crucial it is to preserve the organization’s cultural identity.

| EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

When people feel appreciated, engaged, and empowered inside the firm, cultural resilience is improved. Employees are more likely to be resilient, take the initiative, and come up with creative solutions to challenges when they feel like they are part of the company and are encouraged to share their ideas.

| DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

When businesses value diversity and inclusion, cultural resilience is increased. A diverse workforce delivers a range of viewpoints, experiences, and problem-solving techniques, which can improve the organization’s capacity to tackle problems and adjust to various situations.

| TRUST AND A SUPPORTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT

For a culture to be resilient, trust must be established, and a supportive work environment must be promoted. Employees are more likely to come together, work together, and help one another during trying times when they feel supported by their peers and leaders. Additionally, trust encourages risk-taking and open communication.

| EXTERNAL NETWORK AND RELATIONSHIPS

Businesses that have solid connections outside their own walls have access to more resources and support when times are tough. Collaborations with associates, vendors, clients, and the neighborhood can open up access to knowledge, information, and support, enhancing the organization’s resilience.

WAY FORWARD

In the end, creating a corporate culture that upholds resilient principles will be advantageous to both employers and employees. Employers benefit from an environment that supports employee growth and loyalty while boosting productivity.

It gives workers a sense of self-worth by motivating them to work toward their objectives, a built-in support system to assist with any difficulties that may develop, and a chance to engage in higher levels of self-care.

| KNOLSKAPE’S DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP RESILIENCE COURSE

KNOLSKAPE believes that every adversity shows up as a learning opportunity. We have a choice to make – will we learn and grow out of the situation stronger, or will our spirits be crushed? With this in mind, the Developing Leadership Resilience course trains the learners to develop resilience as a leader and guide your organization and teams through unprecedented times.