Fed up with "Hustle Culture"? Cultivating True Resilience in the Workplace
Let's face it, every team goes through stressful times some of the time. Whether it's the sprint to meet a client deadline, submitting that RFP or loading in a major tradeshow, we likely feel reasonably equipped to pull through during “crunch time.” I mean, isn't this what “hustle culture” and countless influencers have conditioned us to believe is the ONLY way to pull through?
But what happens when simply pulling through is not enough? Amid a near-constant barrage of distressing news and external factors changing the context in which you have to operate your business, the increasing feeling of loss of control and emotional exhaustion will soon affect our day-to-day.
It's about time for a more strategic approach to “the hustle”. A delicate dance of implementing strategies designed to actually build workplace resilience—your team's ability to adapt and recover from adversity. Let's see how!
Workplace Resilience: Leadership Strategies for Employee Well-Being
Cultivating resilience isn’t just about stoically enduring what comes our way—it’s about developing and adopting habits that help us adapt and thrive. (Duh!)
In our personal lives, most of us have probably implemented a variety of coping mechanisms: From regular exercise to meaningful social connections, and mindful media consumption to curb #doomscrolling, to prioritizing sleep and nutrition for emotional stability. In short, by making intentional lifestyle choices, we've learned to strengthen our individual ability to navigate challenges and maintain balance and well-being. But how can we translate this to our leadership styles and approaches?
Having to contend with remote and hybrid work arrangements, the casual #watercooler interactions that once provided social support and informal mentorship have fallen by the wayside. Remember, regardless of the mode of interaction, leaders can foster a resilient workplace by:
1. Encouraging Open Communication in the Workplace: A culture of transparency and psychological safety ensures that employees feel heard and valued. In practice that could look like the following:
Set up forums for anonymous feedback sessions where employees can voice concerns and share ideas.
Normalize ‘venting’ sessions. I often just ping one of my trusted colleagues on our workplace messaging app with a simple “Can I vent for a bit?”. If the answer is yes, we hop on a quick call to vent our frustrations–without judgement, without the expectation of advice, and in full confidence.
Employ empathetic communication techniques, such as verbalization and open-ended questioning, to create a psychologically safe environment.
2. Celebrate success, normalize failure, and push for collective action: Regular check-ins, virtual team-building, and dedicated non-work activities are great, but what's moving the needle on a day-to-day?
Orchestrate and emphasize cross-functional projects to encourage collaboration between teams and build a sense of belonging.
Recognize and celebrate team wins—whether big or small—to foster a positive and engaged workplace culture.
Doing the work IS the achievement: Uncertain times can breed ‘busy work.’ Not all of what your team is working on today will be relevant tomorrow. The natural result is pivoting, parallel pathing, and normalizing the fact that not everything your team has worked for results in positive, tangible results. That's ok, but it's your role as a team lead to validate those efforts and let your team know that the time and work spent still matters, no matter the outcome.
3. Modeling Work-Life Balance for Mental Health: Employees are more likely to prioritize well-being when their leaders set an example by taking breaks, setting boundaries, and acknowledging stress management as a priority.
Encourage managers to publicly block time on their calendars for breaks or personal well-being to normalize work-life balance. That means removing the privacy settings to show that the time blocks are, in fact, reserved for intentional breaks.
Offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate different working styles and personal responsibilities.
Promote the use of mental health days or encourage employees to take PTO without guilt, reinforcing the importance of self-care. (Is it time to revise your employee handbook?)
From Surviving to Thriving
Now more so than ever, cultivating resilience in the workplace is a key skill for your teams. Resilience is not about avoiding stress but learning to navigate your team's responses with acceptance, confidence, and the tools to foster adaptability. By normalizing the need for strong social connections in hybrid, distributed, or remote work environments, maintaining healthy professional habits, and creating positive communication across teams, we can all cultivate greater resilience in the face of adversity.
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For those needing additional support or seeking guidance on implementing workplace resilience Pavel Zoneff, Organizational Development and Business Training Lead at Tee Lex, offers tailored programs designed to help teams build resilience and navigate stress effectively. Reach out via hello@teelexinc.com to get more information.
