One day a great friend spoke of being as flexible as bamboo, which bends without breaking, returning to its original state; Today that reflection takes on all meaning and I relate it to the ability of the Human Being to face adversities in life, overcome them and be positively transformed by them, without losing the essence or leaving the north; This endurance capacity also allows adaptation to tragedies, trauma or latent threats. An example of this behavior in individuals, which even transcends nations, is the response of New York citizens to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the collective efforts of families, a state and a country to remake their lives and their economy.
But beware, it is not related to insensitivity, it does not mean not feeling emotional discomfort or pain, when faced with problems because there are really difficulties that cause serious consequences in our mood, such as the death of a loved one, an illness, the lack of stability at work, and even financial hardships, increasingly frequent in our days, put us in trouble; These are events with a strong impact that sometimes translates into fear, insecurity, uncertainty and even pain per se, but the virtue is in how to overcome obstacles, adapting without losing getting off a certain route.
But which route? You will wonder, I am talking about a path that is not easy, which involves considerable stress and emotional discomfort in the face of constant changes and problems that emerge unexpectedly, challenges and more adversities, it is the path that leads to Resilience, which is no more that that internal, supernatural and universal force that allows it to bend like bamboo and return to its original position without breaking and at the same time be as rigid as metal that despite expanding with a high temperature returns to its initial state as well as the roots scrutinize in the earth the water and the plants look tirelessly for the sun. This is a physical phenomenon that has application to people, to nations and in general to organizations, to work teams.
Now that the concept has been analyzed and explained, the crux of the matter is knowing how those who manage to overcome even themselves in the midst of crises do it; Resilience is not something that a person has or does not have, but it implies an attitude, a lifestyle, a series of behaviors and ways of thinking that anyone can develop in an empowerment process.
Resilient people accept reality as it is, they find a deep meaning in life and above all they have an unwavering capacity to improve, so if you recognize them, come closer and permeate them, empower yourself and become a viral agent, a multiplier of that factor X, do not resist the change that is the only constant, adapt and seek to develop the following skills:
- Be able to identify the precise cause of problems to prevent them from recurring in the future. Control your emotions, especially in adversities, and learn to stay focused and poised in crisis situations. Control your impulses and behavior in high pressure situations. always avoiding anger that does not leave anything good. Be optimistic but realistic, that is, think positively that things will turn out well and that everything that happens in your life that depends on you can be controlled, without being carried away by the Surrealism and fantasy. Consider yourself competent, create and trust your abilities. Look for new opportunities, challenges and relationships to achieve more success and satisfaction in your life. Be emotionally intelligent, learn to read the emotions of others and connect with them, with empathy.
As a tool and lifestyle, it gives those who develop it a series of competitive advantages that in turn can be transferred to your organization.
At the organizational level, Resilience would be defined as the organizational and team capacity to anticipate key events related to emerging trends, constantly adapt to change and recover quickly after crises and other eventualities that require a greater effort.
However, resilient companies with those capable of absorbing changes, crises and ruptures, both internal and external, without affecting their profitability and that even develop flexibility such that, through rapid adaptation processes, they can obtain value benefits added whether these are financial or intangible derived from adverse or unforeseen circumstances.
Resilient organizations go to great lengths to be prepared for the best, but also for the worst. The combination of effective leadership, good corporate governance practices and a quality work climate based on the values of work ethics makes them true organizational learning organizations.
Empathy and social ability - framework of emotional fitness - crystallize the advantages that open and effective communication, empowerment and motivation of people who work in the workplace can give organizations making them truly companies resilient.
The matter is nothing new, and apparently it is inherent in life, in the human condition; It is a skill that takes center stage in times of crisis and in this regard Dr. Einstein commented at the time, to which he left his former reflections: “The crisis is the best blessing that can happen to people and countries because the crisis brings progress. It is in the crisis that inventiveness, discoveries and great strategies are born. Whoever overcomes the crisis overcomes himself without being "overcome." Whoever attributes to the crisis his failures and hardships violates his own talent and respects problems more than solutions. The real crisis is the crisis of incompetence. The problem of people and countries is laziness in finding solutions and solutions. Without crisis there are no challenges, without challenges life is a routine,slow agony. Without crisis there are no merits. It is in the crisis where the best of each one emerges, because without crisis all wind is caress. To speak of crisis is to promote it, and to remain silent in crisis is to exalt conformity. Instead we work hard. Let's put an end to the only threatening crisis that is the tragedy of not wanting to fight to overcome it. "
