5 Habits of High Performing and Resilient Teams
Every business wants the best teams.
There’s many elements to achieving them and you can spend years and plenty of resources trying to get there. But if your team can’t overcome setbacks or bounceback after challenges, all your effort might go to waste.
There’s been a hell of a lot of change over the last decade, even just the past year, and people need to be resilient and have the capacity to recover quickly from the pressures caused.
Not only have people had to deal with a global pandemic, war and cost of living crisis - to name just a few of the challenges - there have also been huge shifts in the business world. Things like budget refreezes, restructures, and redundancies means people are facing a new challenge on what feels like a daily basis.
Not to mention the usual daily stresses of life and work that employees still have to navigate day in and day out.
To be able to thrive in this tough environment, teams need to be focused on building resilience and developing the right habits.
To help, here’s 5 habits you might want to start with.
1. They have a culture of psychological safety
According to the Harvard Business Review, psychological safety at work is critical for resilience.
Teams need to feel safe to speak up, share their voice and even disagree with others if they feel it's right. It’s about creating a safe and supportive environment where people can take risks without fear of being ridiculed or punished.
By focusing on creating psychological safety, although there will still be conflict amongst people, it will be creative and innovative, rather than aggressive and argumentative.
2. They have a clear purpose
Even in times of uncertainty, people still need purpose to work towards. This unites a team and gives them somewhere to aim even if there’s a lot of unpredictability surrounding them .
A study found that employees who feel a strong sense of purpose are more resilient in the face of adversity. This is because they are more likely to see setbacks and challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement.
3. They’re empathetic
When faced with challenges, teams need to show empathy, understanding and care for each other. Not everyone handles problems the same way and it’s important to remember that when thinking of solutions or interacting with others.
Research shows teams that demonstrate empathy and care for each other are more likely to have higher levels of trust and collaboration, which are key ingredients in building a resilient team.
Remember, you’re a team and you’re in this together - through the good times and the bad.
4. There is a clear focus on continuous learning
Nobody knows everything. It takes continuous development to be a high performing and resilient unit; both individually and as a team. Even if you think you have started to get your head round things, something will shift and you will need to make a change.
Foster a culture of learning within your team and make sure to encourage and support each other’s development. Make resilience a part of your toolkit and prepare yourself with skills that you can rely on if things do get difficult.
5. They have regular health checks
Resilient teams don’t just brush things under the rug and hope they disappear. It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of the team, take regular health checks and dig deep into any challenges being faced. This doesn’t involve a doctor, but it does require you to regularly check in with each other to connect, reflect and share feedback.
Careful discussion and thoughtful reflection like this can not only help the team bounce back, but it may actually help them bounce forward and increase their resilience. After all, if an issue isn’t fixed it’s just going to crop up again and again. By keeping your finger on the pulse and regularly checking in, you can be proactive and better equipped to handle future challenges.
Wanna hear more?
In this month’s episode of the Braver Leaders Getting Leadership Right... and F**king it up podcast I’m talking more about how to build resilience in teams.
I'm joined Isabelle Campbell, a true legend in the field of all things mindset, mindfulness and resilience.
Isabelle is a Mindfulness and Yoga teacher, Speaker, Resilience Trainer AND VP of Portfolio at the Financial Times and shares her incredible life and how she builds resilience first in herself, then in those around her.
One last thing…
High performing teams aren’t the default and Braver Leaders Team Coaching focuses on providing you with the tools you need to be the cohesive unit you have the potential to be.
Book in a chat with me here to find out about the different workshops and coaching programmes available.