3 Resources to Build and Lead Resilient Teams

What is a Resilient Team?

Before we dive into resources and applications that can be used to build and lead a resilient team, it is important to clearly understand what that means. Kirkman and Stoverink define team resilience as, “... a team’s capacity to bounce back from a setback that results in a loss of valuable team processes” (Kirkman and Stoverink 5). We can gain further insight into the meaning of resilience by breaking it down into 3 main components:

1.??????? Setback As mentioned in the book, a setback occurs when a team’s action processes begin to stop working as designed. Action processes include Coordination, Monitoring and Backing up Behavior. A team must be able to coordinate a timely response, monitor progress, and assist teammates throughout the duration. According to this definition, if any of these action processes are disrupted or decline, then they have suffered a setback.

2.??????? Bounce Back As it sounds, bouncing back is when a team has restored the action processes or even improved them along the way. It is ultimately the positive state that the team is in after the setback, and the conversations that occur after to access and learn from what has happened.

3.??????? Capacity The final component of this definition is capacity, which refers to the team’s ability to act. The book explains that a setback can occur and the potential to bounce back is there, but it is the team’s capacity that allows it to do so. This is essentially its ability to take the necessary additional steps to restore or improve the action steps that were disrupted by the setback.

In the world that we live in, setbacks are inevitable. Action processes will be disrupted in some manner and the potential to restore them is there, however it comes down to how a team reacts in order to bounce back. Luckily, after reading this book, I have not only clearly understood what team resilience is, but also been equipped with resources that positively impact a team’s likelihood of being able to exhibit it’s resilience to it’s full potential.

Team Resource #1- Team Confidence

“Confidence keeps them engaged despite challenging circumstances. This engagement serves as motivational fuel that enables teams to forge ahead through adversity” (Kirkman and Stoverink 31).

Confidence was quickly identified as one of the most valuable resources in building a resilient team. As mentioned above, it is essentially the “fuel” for a team to ignite their capacity to bounce back. I personally felt that this description really brought to life the magnitude it has when facing setbacks. Confidence is something that must be carefully balanced, not leaning too high or too low. The book does a phenomenal job at providing realistic methods for applying these to our future careers as leaders. Of the methods shared, the following two stood out the most to me:

-????????????? Be a Transformative Leader. A transformative leader is one that clearly shows the passion they have for the position and its goals, the concern they have for their team members, and encourage their members to promote change and growth where they see fit. Leaders I look up to and guest speakers we have had in class exhibit this type of leadership, so to see this mentioned in the book further emphasized its importance to me.

-????????????? Be an Ethical Leader. ?We learned in this course that not only do ethical theories guide us to make the “right” decision, but as learned in the book they also help build team confidence. When setting an example as an ethical leader, this is a manner that you can then expect them to follow. I feel that the book drills this concept down by showing that ethics in leadership means, “...reinforcing that a long-term outlook should always be prioritized over a short-term success” (Kirkman and Stoverink 38).

?

Team Resource #2- Teamwork Roadmaps

Janis Cannon-Bowers and Eduardo Salas, collogues of the authors’, explain that “When we observe expert, high-performance teams in action, it is clear they can often coordinate their behavior without the need to communicate” (Kirkman and Stoverink 58).?

Teamwork Roadmaps was a new idea that I learned through reading this book. A teamwork roadmap clearly defines both the responsibilities of the team and the individual roles of the members to contribute to the larger goal. They clearly set expectations, action steps, and universal understanding. This proves to be beneficial when a team is forced to make decisions extremely quickly, when there is little time for communication. Effective team roadmaps can be implemented by:

-????????????? Hold Regular Meetings. By holding regular meetings, you are able to give each member the opportunity to share what they are doing and establish those tasks as theirs to “own”. This gives them full responsibility to update the company on what is going on in those segments. Regular meetings also make sure that each member is caught up on all information, so that if an adversity arises, they have updated information.

-????????????? Initiate Conversation on Hypothetical Scenarios. These conversations allow a team to brainstorm how they would react to different potential adversities, so that when they arise, they are not completely caught off guard. This was a new concept that I was introduced to and something that I can see myself implementing in the future.

?

Team Resource #3- Team Capacity to Improvise

“Improvisation is the act of making something new and novel out of previous experiences, practices, and knowledge” (Kirkman and Stoverink 73).

Improvisation is an aspect that is essential in all areas of life, however it is critical for being able to build a resilient team. Adversities and conflicts alter the path that was set before, so the trajectory of the plan is changed. If a team is not able to shift that plan as needed, they will not prove to be resilient. With that being said, team improvisation skills can be strengthened by:

-????????????? Increase creativity. Creativity allows for teams to think outside of the box, which proves to be beneficial when the planned strategy may not always work. Creating a space that allows for transferring of ideas that can then be built upon, creates a culture of creative brainstorming. With this being said, it is important to simultaneously create a culture of respect around these ideas, so that others feel comfortable in this group process.

-????????????? Increase transactive memory. Transactive memory is essentially the idea of identifying “who knows what”. This concept was one of the primary lessons that I have taken away from this reading and something I will continue to remember as I lead others. Members should be encouraged to call on their peers as we each have different backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge, all of which should be capitalized on.

?

Conclusion

I am very appreciative for what I have learned throughout this book and the connections I have then been able to draw back to the classroom. Challenges like these from the Walton College of Business, truly are the experiences and assignments that I feel best prepare us for our futures as leaders. This assignment has sparked new ideas and resources that I am now able to add to my personal leadership philosophy, and I am eager to begin implementing them in various positions I hold now and in the future.