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Surviving, adapting, growing, thriving: Resilience and Whole Brain® Thinking

by | Apr 27, 2022

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When you imagine a good worker, you probably think of qualities like intelligence, great work ethic or a very personable individual. But one quality that can be often overlooked is resilience. Resilience is an integral quality needed for people to succeed in the modern workforce. So what is resilience in the workplace? Workplace resilience can be described as the ability to cope with the ups and downs of working and being able to bounce back from challenges. Each Thinking Style™ will react to challenges differently, but all of them are capable of showing resilience in the workplace.


What is the importance of resilience in the workplace?


Resilience is a critical life skill that has been around forever. So why is resilience in the workplace so important? Stressful workplaces can cause their staff to ‘burnout’. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. This stress can come from many different places like a workplace, school, or home. Burnout takes a large toll on organisations every year. Burnout can lead to less productivity, more absenteeism, and even increased employee turnover.


Being resilient within an organisation has more benefits than just psychological factors like avoiding burnout. People who show resilience in the workplace will take better care of their physical health too. Having mentally and physically healthy employees paired with insights gained from the HBDI®, your organisation can not only foster a caring environment but also have the chance to maximise its efficiency as well.


Work culture and resilience


Most people have experienced a detrimental or toxic workplace throughout their careers. Being resilient in these kinds of environments helps you cope when bad situations arise, but it is also about finding ways that will help you move forward and leave these toxic environments. Sometimes it can be hard to see what kind of environment you are in, especially if you have only just started. Some qualities of a toxic workplace can be:

  • Stressful environment
  • Large workload with unrealistic deadlines
  • Poor or lack of communication
  • Uncertainty around your role or your future in the organisation
  • Any form of discrimination

If any of these sound familiar to your workplace or organisation, then not even resilience can make these poor situations go away. Being able to identify these detrimental qualities and doing something about it will help you in the long run, before you get ‘stuck’ there.


Creating a good work culture


Being in a position that is able to create change within an organisation comes with a lot of responsibilities. But one of the perks is that you can create a change for good and help foster a healthy workplace. Being resilient within a workforce is a great thing to be able to do, but not needing to be resilient is even better. Some things you can try are:

  • Create a good work environment that people will want to work in. A simple thing like natural light, plants, standing desks, and fresh fruit are all things worth implementing
  • Creating flexible work arrangements can help alleviate stress from your employees. This could be in the form of work from home options or creating areas that your employees can relax in while they are at work
  • Implementing education and training around mental health will be beneficial for everyone within an organisation

Being agile and adaptable


Being resilient and adaptable go hand in hand. They are some of the best ways to stand out to your employer. But it can be hard to start being adaptable, especially if you are new in an organisation. But here are some ways you can start being adaptable in the workplace:

Get out of your comfort zone! Once you are out, you’ll be faced with new situations and challenges you wouldn’t normally. The more chances you get to practice, the better you will become.

Ask questions and be willing to make mistakes. Asking your co-workers how they would handle a task is a great way to learn new ways of taking on challenges. The idea of making a mistake can be very nerve-wracking for some, but sometimes it is a necessary evil for you to be able to learn valuable lessons in the workplace. The better you become at embracing your mistakes and learning from them, the more adaptable you will become.

Resilience and Whole Brain® Thinking


Each Thinking Style™ will respond differently to a stressful work environment, but all of them are more than capable of displaying resilience. Those with a dominance in the analytical style of thinking will find it challenging when things are always changing as they will be focusing on the data. These thinkers should try and set shorter-term goals to help them remain focused and productive.

Practical thinkers should try and build a sense of control wherever they can. This is often easier said than done, but reworking processes and coming up with detailed schedules help bring some control back into their lives.

Relational thinkers might struggle in a stressful environment. A good way to cope with this stress is to reach out and ask for help. Taking a step back from a hectic environment and spending quality time with family and friends is a good way to help control stress, so you can feel refreshed when you are ready to take on the next challenge.

Finally, experimental thinkers might struggle when they can’t get things done in the way they want to. This is a good time to flex their creative muscles and find different solutions to these problems. Constraints can be a great catalyst for new ideas and improved processes.

If you want to learn more about how Whole Brain® Thinking and the HBDI® can help you and your organisation, have a look at how it works here or get in touch and we’ll help you find the right solution

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