Resilience Is Not A State

People in the resilience and preparedness communities are quite fond of promoting the idea of “being resilient”. Resilience is not a state to be achieved. Resilience should be treated like a measure, not unlike distance, time or temperature. It’s time we took steps to treat it that way.

If it is true that someone or something can be resilient then it must follow that someone or something can also be non-resilient. If there truly are two states – one representing the resilient and another representing those that lack resilience - what is it that sets them apart? If we can answer that question, then we can take action to move from one state to another. The challenge is that we cannot objectively answer that question. I’ve heard people use terms to describe the people and companies that they deem to be “resilient”. They have grit, determination, adaptability. They overcome. They rebound. Organizations that are resilient are innovative and demonstrate empathy. But how does one measure those qualities? Are they states of being as well or do they exist along a spectrum? If it is the latter, then how do we objectively measure the level of that characteristic and what is the quantity necessary to qualify something as resilient?

Why this is a problem

Without being able to tell if we have reached a state of resilience, efforts to achieve it are dubious. At best, we are wasting time and resources. Having goals is good. pursuing them without the ability to determine if they’ve been met is questionable. At worst, we may be making organizations less resilient. The problem is that we simply do not know. We’re running a race in an open field with a finish line that we cannot see and which could be in any direction and an undeterminable distance.

With no outcome to measure, we turn to standards and regulations as our means of measuring the work we do. This leads away from outcome-focused efforts and towards compliance-driven approaches. This is problematic for two reasons:

1.?????? Work is performed based on the assumption that it will achieve the goal of making our organizations resilient. Yet, we’ve been proceeding without evidence that the prescribed activities will help us reach the objective. With no way of knowing when or if we’ve made our organization resilient there is every possibility we could make the problem worse.

2.?????? When compliance is the goal – and not the outcome – then work will only be performed for the purpose of satisfying the requirements. If there is no perceived benefit, then those tasked with such work will likely devote only the minimal time and effort needed to get it off their desks. We can measure that the work gets done. Whether that work is achieving its intended purpose is in doubt.

So, where does this leave us?

The Alternative

Resilience is a measure. However, it’s a measure for which units of measurement have yet to be defined. We have (almost) universally agreed-upon units that we use to measure things like distance (miles, kilometers), temperature (Fahrenheit, Celsius) or time (minutes, hours). This is something we lack in the resilience space. The best we can say is that it is relative. This means we can only say that a person is more or less resilient than another person, within certain contexts. For example, Angela has a significant amount of money saved so she is more financially resilient than Bob who lives paycheck to paycheck. But Angela is a workaholic and has little social interaction outside of work, while Bob has strong relationships and ties to his community. In that context, Bob is probably more mentally and socially resilient.

Given what we know, it would not be appropriate to define the same targets for Angela and Bob to achieve. The level of resilience that is appropriate should be driven by where they are and what would benefit each of them most. Ideally, we should take steps to improve, specific to their existing capability. Bob could start by putting small amounts into savings or opening a retirement account. Angela could make time to attend her neighborhood church or volunteer for a local community organization.

The Solution

To do this properly, we have to start by using the correct language. Language is powerful. Not only does it describe our world, it defines it as well. By changing how we speak about something, we can actually change how we perceive and think about it. When we use terms like “being resilient”, we re-enforce the notion that resilience can be achieved through a concrete set of actions and that we only need ensure those actions are taken in order to reach the goal. When we, instead, refer to “improving resilience” we acknowledge that resilience exists along a spectrum and that actions we take can move us either up or down. It makes us more conscious of what we do and the potential consequences of doing the wrong thing. We are also more likely to focus on the outcomes of our actions rather than mere completion of the action itself.

In practice, this becomes more concrete by defining the actions and behaviors that move us in the right direction. For example:

·?????? Do not define objectives for your work if those objectives are meant to achieve a state that is not defined or measurable.

·?????? Learn the characteristics that benefit organizations in times of trouble then seek to measure the degree to which those characteristics are demonstrated by the organization.

·?????? Learn what actions contribute to the expansion of those characteristics that benefit organizations in times of crisis.

·?????? Take small steps, and be willing to experiment.

In Summary:

Resilience is not a state. Resilience is a measure.

We do not understand – because we cannot articulate – what a state of resilience looks like. For that reason, we cannot possibly know what actions will help us achieve that state. Taking action when we do not know if that action will deliver the outcome we desire is wasteful and potentially damaging. Act on what you do know – that some characteristics are stronger in more resilient organizations. And be deliberate about what resilience is when you speak and write about it. You will see a difference!