Make Your Team As Resilient as Army Fighters

Resiliency Training

Today, I am already on my 4th year in my present company. It made me realize how blessed I am to have a pretty solid strong team of designer rockstars. How come we stick together and remain shielded from external destruction, stresssful situations, uncertainty, possible restructuring and their own financial situations or sometimes politics that are happening across other teams? Maybe it starts from handpicking the right people to fit the culture? Or perhaps it is how you manage and facilitate their growth? There are no secrets.  After reading the article from Seligman’s study of happiness, there are a few points I found highly in common. Basically, he points out ways on how we can be a resilient as army fighters.

You would need highly resilient, not just skilled team members, to be able to focus in finding solutions.  You want them optimistic, motivated, confident and persistent.

Resilience training has 3 parts:

1) Building mental toughness
2) Cultivating character strengths in your team.
3) Building strong relationships.

1) Building mental toughness.

a) Isolating reaction from the event. Isolating one’s self from the reaction that is happening in the surroundings can save you a great deal. By doing this you gain control over destructive emotions. You learn to identify where your anger is coming from, so you don’t direct it at the wrong target.  Grace under pressure.

b) Avoiding mental traps such as- judging a person’s worth or ability based on a single action, should be overcome.
Another trap, are “icebergs,” – these are deeply held beliefs that lead to disproportionate reactions. An example of icebergs for drill sergeants is “asking for help shows weakness.” An iceberg for enlisted soldiers would be, “my family will fall apart while I’m on duty.”

You get to know the nature of your own iceberg by asking yourself: is it meaningful, is it accurate, is it overly rigid, and is it useful?  In this way, you slow down your emotional reactions, and gain perspective, so you can lead thoughtfully, not react.

c) Silencing the mind. As the lesson we got from KUNG FU PANDA2, “inner peace”. You need to quiet mental chatter and distractions when there is acute need to perform at a high level. This doesn’t only apply in the army where there are hazardous combats and other life threatening situation, but during presentations, meetings and other management situations as well. That’s why rumor and gossip, doesn’t have a room in the team.

Steps to achieve mental clarity during pressure.

 i) Gathering evidence. (What do I need to know about the situation)

ii) Optimism (imagining the best possible outcome)

iii) Hunting the good stuff (Creating gratitude journal to remind you of the good things)

2) Acknowledging individual’s strengths.

By focusing on each person’s strengths, rather then weaknesses, you build confidence and resilience.  This is done through assessments, observation, and one-on-one talks.

3) Building Strong Relationships through Smart Conversation

Resilience training teaches a five-step model of assertive communication:

1. Identify and work to understand the situation.
2. Describe the situation objectively.
3. Express concerns immediately.
4. Ask the other person for her/his perspective and work toward an acceptable change.
5. List the benefits that will follow when the change is implemented.

The value of the Army program speaks to anyone who wants to use self-awareness and discipline to confront destructive, enervating behaviors, and create psychological fitness and energy.

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