3 Practices of Resilient Teams
When Ee Lin and her team woke up one fine Thursday morning, little did they expect that it was going to be one of the most trying days the team had ever faced. They arrived at work to the news that the organisation was headed into a restructure, which would involve changes in reporting lines and a refocus of organisational priorities. Whilst Ee Lin’s team recoiled from the shock, they had to quickly shift their focus, realign their priorities, and adjust their workplans. The team, which was already working at 110%, now needed to also manage these changes.
Sound familiar? Teams face adversity from many sources: organisational change, business being stretched by increases in growth targets, and launches of new business channels, products, or markets among other shifts. Although the source varies, leaders we speak to share one common concern: How can they build and foster resilience in teams throughout the organisation?
Team resilience is more than just getting people to complete a steps challenge or conducting group yoga. Teams require people to work interdependently, and they need team-level resilience practices that help them quickly adapt and thrive in new circumstances. Fortunately, in the case of Ee Lin’s team, they had an advantage as she had already been focusing on putting in place three important team resilience practices.
Clarity of Purpose and Priorities
Resilient teams are clear on what they need to do and how to get it done. They understand and work towards the same purpose and goals. Ideally, team members will be inspired by these goals. Priorities are clear. Even if they change fast, everyone knows and agrees on where to prioritise effort and time. Leaders should invest time in ruthlessly setting and maintaining clarity on the team’s few, high priorities and communicating these to everyone. Share not just the what, but the why.
Should this be an area of focus for your teams? Ask yourself:
Does my team clearly understand our purpose and goals?
Are priorities few, clear, and helpful in making decisions without my intervention?
Are our processes simple, well-articulated, and clear enough to help the team get things done?
Connection to Each Other
Resilient teams have strong working relationships with one another. Members have a strong sense of group identity and care about the success of the team. Leaders can foster this connection by building strong trust, addressing conflict quickly, and ensuring team members work together on high-pressure tasks to build confidence in one another’s capabilities. Communication becomes particularly important in high-pressure situations. Build communication routines to ensure people are involved, listened to, and get the information they need.
Should this be an area of focus for your teams? Ask yourself:
Is there a good level of trust in my team?
Are new ideas and different voices encouraged?
Are there strong relationships where problems between individuals are handled quickly and positively?
Control Over What Happens
Resilient teams retain a sense of control even when the situation is unfolding and unclear. Lack of control is one of the biggest factors that turns pressure into stress. It is so powerful that it contributes to physical illnesses such as heart disease. In this situation, team norms that encourage flexibility and curiosity in the team will build resilience. Regularly encourage team members to step back and consider new and different ways of doing things.
Should this be an area of focus for your teams? Ask yourself:
Are team members confident in the contributions and capabilities of others?
Does the team solve problems together?
Do team members regularly experiment with different ways of doing things?
Thankfully, Ee Lin and her team’s work on Clarity, Connection, and Control practices prior to her company's transformation paid dividends. The team emerged stronger and managed to sustain their health and business performance. They rose to the challenge, optimised the business opportunities faster, and used the adversity as a launchpad for more innovative thinking.
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