How to Build a Resilient Team | Nitha Bangera

 

Challenges during this pandemic time is inevitable. Now more than ever every team should know how to bounce back and move forward. Leaders worldwide are talking about one important behavior – being resilient. From virtual webinars, talk shows to leadership messages, and social media posts, all these communications have one thing in common i.e., building a resilient workforce. I agree that building a resilient workforce does not happen overnight. It is not easy to shift your team to become truly resilient, especially during this time when challenges are even harder. So, what do we do it? How do we build and motivate our teams?

Well, the good news is that resiliency is just like a muscle. It can be grown every day with regular practice. Here are few tips that will help you to boost your team’s resilience during these difficult days:

·     Be more empathetic: I believe that one of the most important traits for leaders to lead is empathy. You must give your team a sense of belonging and self-worth. Spend time with your team by scheduling more one-on-ones, checking in with them frequently, actively listening to your team, and so on. This will lead to a more loyal, engaged, and productive team.

·      Overlap your skills: Develop a skill matrix and utilize them as per your client's requirements. For example, if your team is working on a niche project you should ensure that the skill set needed to support that project is available not only in your time zone but also in adjacent time zones. This guarantees that you and your team are available for a client's needs or requirements. Trust me, this makes all the difference between a frustrated client and a satisfied client. 

·      Effective and open communication: Resiliency goes beyond standard team meetings. You and your team should always be in sync and speak the same language. As a team lead or a manager create a communication pathway to effectively reach out and collaborate with other team members. It is all the more important if your team is working remotely.

·     Always have a backup plan: Nobody can predict emergencies, so always have your backup plan. Your first step is to deal with unplanned team member absences. Always assume that absenteeism will happen at the most inopportune time possible. Within a minute you should be able to reach out to your team and get a stand-in without missing a beat. Always keep in mind that workload transition ensures business continuity. When you have a backup plan your team members are also less stressed because they know that they have a backup on whom they can rely.

·     Provide access to information: When you are building a resilient team, they must have access to all information. Staring from company policies to best practice sharing and client knowledge. Whether you are serving internal or external clients, make information easily available to everyone.

·       Prepare your team for adversity: Currently, we all are facing unprecedented challenges. So, train your people in soft skills to deal with adversity. Make sure your team members understand that it is acceptable to talk openly about these issues during team meetings. There should be no taboos on discussing challenges that are happening on a global, regional, or local level. This helps everyone feel that they are facing adversity with compassion, and as a team.

Always remember that developing team resilience is a key strategy for all leaders at any level of business. So, continue to improve resilience within your team.