Investing in resilience: How to future-proof your organization

Building a resilient organization is crucial for success in today's constantly changing business landscape. Organizations that are able to adapt to changes and bounce back from challenges are more likely to thrive, even in the face of adversity.

To build a resilient organization, there are a few key steps that should be taken. Firstly, it's important to have a clear understanding of the organization's mission, vision, and values. This provides a solid foundation for decision-making and helps to guide the organization through difficult times.

Secondly, communication is key. Leaders should foster an open and transparent culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Regular communication can help to identify potential problems early on and allows for swift action to be taken.

Thirdly, investing in employee development is crucial. By providing training and development opportunities, employees are better equipped to handle new challenges and adapt to changes in the business environment. This also helps to create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Fourthly, organizations should always be evaluating and re-evaluating their strategies and processes. This includes assessing risks and potential threats, as well as identifying areas for improvement. By constantly reviewing and refining their strategies, organizations are better prepared to respond and adapt.

Psychological safety allows individuals to take risks, learn from failures, and innovate - all critical elements of resilience.

The New York Times published back in 2016 a story about how Google found psychological safety to be a core component in their best teams - years before the term was used in popular management literature. The story shows a backdrop of the human factor component in teams - and shows us that the human side of business is both important and a factor to take into consideration when looking into employee development to build resilience.

Resilience is a muscle.

The more you work it, the stronger it gets.

Ole Andre Braten is a highly experienced Management Consultant and Work- and Organizational Psychology specialist. Over the course of his 15-year career, he has provided comprehensive training to executives, teams, and front-line employees on how to navigate and manage crisis situations effectively. He is also an accomplished author, having published several books on the topic of crisis leadership, including his latest work, "Crisis Leadership," which was released by the Norwegian publishing house Cappelen Damm in Oslo.

Braten's approach to building organizational resilience involves a focus on both individual executive and organizational culture assessment and development. He believes that building resilience is a marathon rather than a sprint, and requires sustained motivation and commitment to effect meaningful change.

Braten emphasizes the importance of building a reflective, proactive team in a nurturing environment and believes that once a resilient mindset is achieved, it will never be relinquished.

Having worked with clients facing a range of diverse scenarios, Braten views crisis management as a critical component of change management and innovation. He echoes Winston Churchill's famous quote, "plans are meaningless, but planning is essential," and asserts that mindset is more important than strategy when it comes to building resilience.