Building Resilient Teams: Empowering People to Thrive in Turbulent Times

No one is immune to a crisis. One day, you're busy growing your company, and the next, a war breaks out in your country, throwing everything off balance. It's undeniably a critical situation, but the business world is full of numerous risks that companies must be prepared for. While you can't predict every twist and turn, having confidence in your team's ability to handle most situations is a significant advantage. In this article, I'll show you how to prepare your team and enhance its resilience in the face of challenges.

Let's put this puzzle together. What makes a team resilient?

A team can be deemed resilient when it handles challenges, external pressure, and even unexpected situations that come its way. They're like quick-change artists, adapting on the fly without missing a beat. It almost sounds like a dream team, doesn't it?

When a full-scale war broke out, we didn't panic. Instead, we went into action mode and came up with a backup plan. We set up extra communication channels and found an additional way to get the funds we needed.

But here's the thing: from day one, we made it clear that the safety of every team member was the top priority. After that, it was all about making sure our workspaces were in order so we could actually get work done. Then, there was the communication side of things. We figured out who could handle what based on their skills, energy levels, and how much they wanted to dive in. That's when we formed these small teams of 2-3 members who could divide and conquer. This way, we managed to stay productive. Some of us went all in on work, while others took breaks to recharge, and that helped us keep the workflow going until others were ready to jump back in, either physically or mentally.

Why should you beef up your team?

War is a critical event, and the likelihood of such a scenario occurring for most individuals is close to zero. But there are other crucial moments for business owners, especially when it comes to dealing with customer-related issues. These problems can impact either a large number of customers or your top users, potentially resulting in financial losses or reputational risks.

In such cases, some top managers opt to set aside all other tasks and rush to solve the problem. However, there's a way to prepare the team so that they can handle the issue without completely neglecting their regular tasks. I prefer to mitigate potential risks and have a Plan B for each one.

So, what does this Plan B involve? It may include a protocol outlining specific actions to take in case a particular problem arises. We usually have a couple of team members take turns overseeing these guidelines, and we incorporate this approach into our sprint planning at the beginning of each sprint.

How to make your team resilient: 3 real-life tips you can try right now

Of course, each situation is unique, but is there some kind of recipe that can work for any company, no matter its size? Well, my answer is that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. HOWEVER.

Think about it like this: When you visit a doctor, no matter the reason, they usually give you the same basic advice—don't drink too much, quit smoking, eat healthy, and get some exercise. Why? Because these are proactive steps that can keep you from getting sick in the first place. It's always easier to stay healthy than to deal with an illness. The same idea applies to businesses.

Here's a simple idea: Whenever you bring a new person onto your team, part of their onboarding process should include giving feedback on their own onboarding experience. For example, after about three months, the new team member should give their thoughts on the onboarding process and all the materials they got to learn about the company. They can say what's clear, what's not, what's missing, and what can be improved. Furthermore, this person should suggest precisely how you can improve it. They can also share if they understand what each team in the company does. This simple step can help any company, no matter how big or small.

By doing this, you'll keep improving your onboarding materials with every new hire. That way, the next person who joins will have an even better understanding of the company—what it does and how it works.

Here's another practical tip for all companies: If you've got a team that's used to working in a specific way with clear roles and tasks, try this out. Pick one person, let's say a salesperson who handles a big client, and give them a 2-3 week vacation. See how the team copes with supporting that client. Does the client know who to reach out to if they have questions? Is your team well-prepared to address their inquiries?

Sure, there's a chance you might lose the customer temporarily, but think of it as finding any weak spots in your ship and patching them up. This little experiment can show you how well your processes are set up and where they might need some fixing. Moreover, it helps you prepare for the future so that if that salesperson needs time off or gets sick, you won't risk losing the client.

If you're not keen on the idea of learning from your mistakes, or you'd rather not make the team feel like they're being treated as guinea pigs in an experiment, there's an alternative approach. Have a conversation with the person who's going on vacation. Ask them what they think needs to be done to keep the team's performance up while they're away. This way, you're involving them in the process of procedure design, and they can help identify any communication gaps and suggest practical solutions. After all, they have a personal interest in making sure the client doesn't go anywhere while they're gone.

Another way to get ready for a crisis is to give it a practice run, somewhat akin to fire drills in school. Only this time, instead of a fire, you're simulating a different tricky situation, such as a server failure. Go through the plan and see if all the steps in it would actually help in that situation. If you currently lack such a protocol, this meeting is an opportune time to create one. Engage with the teams to discuss how they can handle customer communication, address technical server issues, and so forth.

Takeaways

The business world is always full of curveballs and surprises, so you need to know how to build tough-as-nails teams. These are the squads that don't just survive when things get wild but actually thrive. Now, you know at least three ways to prepare your team for challenges. Remember, being forewarned is being forearmed.