Life isn’t always happy, easy, or fun.
Specific events or a long period of struggle can wear us down.
The key is to accept that the difficult periods are part of the journey.
Getting comfortable being uncomfortable is one of the greatest, most valuable gifts we can give ourselves.
Yet, what if there was a roadmap for bouncing back?
I spoke with one of my favorite colleagues the other day. She’s in the middle of her Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania.
She’ll be doing her capstone project soon – on organizational resilience.
In my experience, an organization’s resilience will rise to the level of its leadership.
Yet, rarely are managers trained how to diagnose when their team’s resilience is fading, what to do to help them bounce back, and why resilience is important to the bottom line.
One of the best frameworks I’ve seen is from a company called Decision Wise. They propose that engagement (and I’ve extrapolated to resilience) is based on five key levers:
Meaning
Autonomy
Growth
Impact
Connection
MAGIC. Learn more about the explanation of each.
As my team at work (and I) go through an extended period of change at work, I’ve learned to read the signs when resilience is waning. Over the years, I’ve assessed which of the MAGIC ingredients makes each team member tick. There’s bits of all in each person, but this team really thrives on Connection. When we’re in the red, I do my best to amplify opportunities for a big dose of ‘C’. Maybe that’s a team lunch, a dinner out of the office, or a conversation about something other than work.
This framework can help you understand your own resilience. What lights you up? What do you need to introduce when your ‘bounce back’ reserve is depleted? Being able to diagnose our symptoms and prescribe our own remedies will enable us to refuel appropriately and navigate the rough patches with a roadmap.
Maybe you’ve known all along that bouncing back requires a bit of magic.