Everyday habits that build resilience through organisational change

The speed, scale, and sustained nature of organisational change is an ever-present challenge. It is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, which means that building our personal resilience as we navigate continuous change is more important than ever.

This short article offers some practical strategies for doing just that.

Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

What is resilience?

We define resilience as: “The attitudes, skills and strengths which enable people to cope, to bounce back and potentially to thrive, in times of pressure and adversity.”(Wendy Robinson, Organisational Psychologist, Taylor Clarke, 2012)

Resilience is not a fixed trait that some people have, and others don’t.  We can all attend to and build our resilience over time.  Below is the Taylor Clarke model that offers a starting point for reflecting on and assessing your current resilience levels.

The Taylor Clarke Resilience Model

According to the model, at the heart of resilience is the balance between Me, Them, and It:

• Me – your inner world: self-belief, self-awareness, and playing to your strengths.

• Them – your relationships: reaching out to others and drawing on connection for support.

• It – the external challenges: developing realistic optimism, problem-solving, and maintaining perspective.

  
  

The 7 Resilience Capabilities:

Capabilities to do with ‘Me’:

1. I have Self Belief – I’m confident and believe I can learn and change;

2. I’m Self Aware – I know what’s important to me and how to behave in  different situations; and finally,

3. I’m clear on what my Strengths are, and how to use these well

How I engage (or not) with the Stressor (‘It’):

4. I see it as an opportunity to Problem Solve – to be creative and flexible;

5. I’m able to see Wider Perspectives – I’m not just stuck in one narrow  way of viewing it and I realise that change is here to stay – this change    will be followed by another one and then another one; finally,

6. I’m Realistically Optimistic – I can do something to influence this without believing I’ve got a magic wand

My willingness to Reach Out to Others:

7. I don’t try to go it alone when I’m struggling – I have supportive relationships at work, I work at building these relationships and I Reach  Out to others, to give and receive support

Each of these capabilities strengthens your overall capacity to cope and thrive. Understanding which areas support you most — and which are being depleted — provides a starting point for building greater resilience.

Practical strategies for building your resilience

Resilience isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Taking your own self-care and personal resilience seriously is the foundation for coping with ongoing change. The key is to experiment and find what works best for you.

Here are five practical strategies that can help:

• Focus on one thing at a time – give your mind the chance to settle instead of constantly juggling.

• Step outside yourself – find an activity or place that allows you to switch off from all things related to work.

• Take regular breaks – even short pauses can help reset your energy and perspective.

• Get outdoors – nature is a powerful soother and a natural resilience booster.

• Do more of what you love – prioritising joy isn’t frivolous, it’s restorative.

The invitation is simple: start small, notice what makes a difference, and build resilience as a daily practice rather than something you only turn to in times of stress or crisis.

You may also find some valuable suggestions in these two posts on ‘Steps to a greater work-life balance’.

Steps to a greater work life balance part 1

Steps to a greater work life balance part 2

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Written by Pauline Holland, Taylor Clarke Consultant