A Resilient Workforce Helps Organizations Adapt and Thrive in Uncertain Times

Organizations that want to successfully adapt to change and uncertainty should focus on promoting resilience in their employees, according to research by Mark Marone, PhD., Director of Research and Thought Leadership for Dale Carnegie and Associates.

Dale Carnegie Training surveyed more than 6,500 employees around the world to measure resilience and its impact on the workplace. The study defines resilience as the ability to cope with a stressful situation, recover from it and learn from the experience. 72% of the people surveyed had experienced work-related difficulties such as job changes, heavy workloads or conflicts with coworkers. 

Highly resilient respondents were just as likely to have experienced adversity but they reacted differently to it. They embraced change, consistently gave their best effort at work, rarely or never felt workplace stress and planned to stay with their current employer. 

There is a possibility that resilience is hardwired, but research shows that good leadership can strengthen it. Managers can boost resilience by bringing employees together to achieve shared organizational goals, providing sufficient work resources and supporting a learning culture. According to the survey results, 77% of the highly resilient respondents consistently felt connected, valued and empowered at work.

A resilient workforce also benefits the organization. According to research, resilient teams are more cooperative and are better at finding solutions when faced with challenges. These teams experience greater productivity, higher retention and better customer metrics. 

“Creating a resilient organization that can successfully ‘bounce back’ and grow from adverse experiences has become increasingly critical. For leaders who hope to accelerate performance and capitalize on change and uncertainty, it’s moved from highly desirable to absolutely crucial,” Dr. Marone writes.

Read the entire study here.