We all respond to difficult experiences in different ways. Our responses affect us personally and professionally, as an individual and as part of a group.
Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ and positively adapt in response to difficult situations, crisis and stress. It’s about keeping ourselves healthy so we are able to cope with our problems. With resilience in the workplace we are able to work as a group, contributing in a positive and confident way, while keeping organisational standards of safety, quality and productivity at the forefront of our thinking and ultimately our behaviour. Resilience in the workplace will reduce the impact that depressive and anxious behaviours, misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and fatigue can have on safety, productivity and quality.
A common problem
In a recent survey of over 3,500 people conducted by Bulletproof People, 94 per cent answered yes to the question ‘Do you think that the mismanagement of depression, crisis and stress could have a negative impact on a person’s use of alcohol and other drugs?’
As a nation the previous 12 months has been quite challenging to say the least; adversity has come from all sides in the form of natural and financial disasters. While the damage to infrastructure and the environment can be addressed, the ongoing emotional and mental strain will take its toll for some time to come. Whether it’s a natural disaster or an unexpected event in a person’s health, relationships and or finances, there are plenty of bad things happening to good people.
Many people quote Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous aphorism ‘What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger’ but it’s only half the story. Research has clearly shown that experiencing adversity as either a one-off occurrence or an ongoing situation can be a catalyst for growth, but it does not necessarily make you resilient. Without being managed by a clear plan to build resilience, adversity could actually weaken one’s resilience rather than having a positive impact. Classic human behaviour is to wait until something happens before we attempt to address the issue. We write a budget only after we can’t explain where all our money has gone, or we get fit only after we have had some type of medical hiccup or negative confrontation with the mirror.
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is not the best approach when building resilience. Whether life is going well or it’s providing challenges, there is no better time to build resilience than the present.
Rhett Morris is the director and owner of “Bulletproof People” and together with his team they have delivered hundreds of workshops and keynotes Australia wide to a variety of both white and blue-collar audiences. Resilience in the workplace will have direct impacts on safety, quality and productivity outcomes. Rhett has consulted extensively within the Oil and Gas, Construction, Energy and FMCH sectors. The last 12 months have seen him deliver 280 workshops and keynote sessions on topics ranging from Fatigue, Alcohol and Other Drugs and Resilience.
Rhett’s message is simple – strong personal lives equal successful professional lives. Reducing professional risk and personal crisis.
For more information on Rhett and Bulletproof People, visit bulletproofpeople.com.au