Coaching Conference 2019: Resilience in the Workplace

Whether you’re a leader in business, a coach in practice, or an organisation looking for sustainable change, there is a lot we can learn about team resilience from four individuals who rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.

Henley Business School was the headline partner for Heads Together and Row, who completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2018 in aid of mental health charities and as the focus of Henley research into individual and team resilience.

The 2019 Coaching Conference will feature a session run by Ole Petter Anfinsen, an executive, entrepreneur and business professional who provided data analysis support for Henley’s resilience research. Ahead of the event, he discusses some of the findings from the report.

Resilience can be explained as our ability to handle pressure and setbacks without letting it take over and turn into emotional stress, which often happens when something becomes a worry or overly stressful, or one feels pressured to the edge of what one can cope with.

Therefore, you could say that resilience is a ‘must-have’ skill in the 21st century where people have to embrace and develop resilience while letting go of stress.

Our research into the rowers’ resilience levels throughout their Atlantic challenge helped us identify some key coping mechanisms. They included:

• Getting into a routine
• Taking time out in a “happy place”
• Focus on the goal
• Finding support from others

But it is important to be aware of the fact that resilience is not only for a select few! It is needed by all as it helps us to deal with adversity.

Our environment is continuously evolving, and we have to deal with challenges influenced by changing economies and political uncertainty.

The research also gave us an insight into how to build team resilience.

For example, it showed the whole team needs to be committed to the end goal in order for team processes to work well. The team must also share the belief that it can be effective. It is important the team members understand each other’s roles and the overarching roles of the team, particularly when challenges become chaotic.

Equally, team psychological safety is important – the team must feel able to admit mistakes, voice concerns and raise divergent opinions in order to keep personal relationships functioning, and to effectively deal with challenges.

Hence, resilience is much more than just bouncing back after setbacks - it is key to our survival in the 21st century workplace - interrelated with self-management and discipline – helping us to make success in the workplace a habit.

To hear more from Ole Petter, join us on Friday 18 October for the Coaching Conference 2019 – Achieving Mental Toughness: Well-being, Resilience and Team Coaching.

Download a copy of the research and read Henley’s news story on the findings.