Author of
The Gauntlet
Today’s tech driven world tends to increase our sense of predictability, helping us complete our functional tasks on a timely basis, sustaining our competitive posture. Starbuck’s coffee is the same worldwide; Amazon will deliver your package as close as possible to tomorrow.
But working against this predictability, and undermining the expected outcomes, is the continual disruption of routine, perpetual change that challenges us to reassess what is valuable. Change willcontinue to occur, with increasing frequency, and resilience is our best response.
Resilience is a commitment to an attitude of agility, to a process that works even when things occur that are not expected…especially then. It requires flexibility, collaboration, and a sense of possibility to react promptly to changing circumstances so the business isn’t paralyzed by uncertainty. It’s a response that is grounded in your values and culture, the commitment of your people, the “high touch” side of your business.
Resilience requires balance between your high-tech competency and your high touch skills that tell your customers you care about them, and enable your people to remain healthy, creative, and energized. Too much focus on technology, like automating every business transaction without human interaction, is a recipe for disaster, particularly during times of uncertainty; too little tech can compromise performance.
Resilience acknowledges the fear of uncertainty while sustaining a realistically positive message. It focuses on what’s known: the current situation and the reality that there’s work to do now. It leverages your experience and creativity in prior crises, and relies on the initiative, confidence and commitment of your people to get the job done.
Practicing resilience that syncs technology with the personal touch awareness of human complexity and empathy, produces positive outcomes.
How satisfied are you with your agility and resilience?
