Company culture isn’t just written policies and the details about when, where, how, and by whom work gets done. It’s also the unwritten vibe about the organization, the traditions, the feelings, basically “how we do things here.” These all have an effect on employees, via productivity, retention, and job satisfaction. So, it’s important to create a resilient company culture.
What is Resiliency?
This term is definitely overused today, and because of this, I believe there’s a lot of misconception about what it truly means, especially in the context of corporate resiliency. At the heart of it: company resiliency is long-term strength and agility. Having resiliency means that your team is prepared for, and can adapt to, conflicts, changing conditions, challenges, innovation and new ideas, and expansions (or reductions) in workforce or operations.
Resilient people make resilient cultures. Corporate resiliency works when it’s aligned with core aspects of the individuals on your teams. That includes their self-awareness and ability to manage change, their social skills and relationship management skills, and the core values and guiding principles of team members.
Crucial Characteristics of Resilient Companies
- Leaders acting as leaders
Truly engaged leaders facilitate change, especially if it’s a change in company culture. Leaders who work closely with their team, explaining the goals and allowing the team to show that they can reach those goals, build resiliency.
- Accountability
Leaders provide targets for not only their team members to reach, but for themselves as well. They also celebrate project milestones, even if the ultimate goal has not been reached. This provides team members with concrete points they are accountable for reaching. By taking on and being transparent about their own responsibilities, leaders exhibit the all-inclusive culture of the organization, that everyone has a stake in the success of the whole.
- Transparency
Leaders promote networking and communication across all divisions of the organization. As information flows across the company, individual members are enabled to own more of the process and the results. This strengthens the framework of the team, helping its members withstand difficulties like employees leaving, rapid expansion or reductions, or even drastic modifications like a company buy-out or closure.
Establishing a Culture of Resiliency
The foundations of resiliency are found in:
- Trust
- Accountability
- Positivity and seeing beyond the current challenges
- Delegation – so everyone plays a part in the success of the organization
- Authenticity and putting people first. Everyone – including and especially the leaders – are members of the same team
- Inclusivity – to reduce competition between members
- Communication – so all members understand the goals of the organization (like, how the president/CEO/CFO define success) and their role in achieving them. This strengthens the team and reduces disagreements
- Rewarding excellence and continuous education
- Building a stable, but not static, work environment
Resiliency as a Goal
Improving your company’s resiliency can be a goal, but most great leaders understand that there is little static, or unchanging, in a successful company. There are always improvements to be made, both internally and externally, and resiliency is just one of those. Resilient teams strive for better resiliency – continually looking for ways to become more efficient and stronger team. As you achieve one level of resiliency, look for ways to step up your gain and reach the next level.