Resilience is a skill that is being recognised more and more as impactful in the workplace. When we speak of resilience, we are talking about the ability to come back from challenging situations.
Originally from Belgium, Alexia Michiels is the co-founder of The Resilience Institute Europe. After gaining a degree in Commercial and Consular Sciences, she worked in marketing and media for 10 years. She then lived in China for 5 years, where she became a certified professional coach and a yoga instructor. That is where she met Dr Sven Hansen – founder of The Resilience Institute – and joined his team. Convinced by this holistic and evidence-based approach, Alexia understands that resilience needs to be cultivated daily, mobilising all our resources: body, heart, mind and spirit. Alexia is the author of the book L’Elan de la Résilience, or The Resilience Drive.
Impact on generations
Ms Michiels says: “Leading by example has the strongest impact. At work with your team members. At home with your kids.
“We acknowledge that resilience is a set of competences that can be learned and cultivated. It is therefore critical to bring the topic on the table and increase ‘resilience awareness’.
“In my experience, millennials and Gen Z need to reinforce their resilience foundations – the ability to rejuvenate smartly, sleep enough, eat healthy and exercise regularly. A basis to progress as a resilient professional. Awareness precedes action which then leads to results – and that’s how we can build resilience.”
Habits
Walking meetings are becoming popular and are a strategy Ms Michiels recommends.
She says: “Walking meetings work best when there is no need to take notes but rather an open conversation on a certain topic. You may want to consider recording the dialogue, if appropriate and if both parts agree.
“Resilience is not a character type. It is a set of competences that anyone can strengthen through some practices. As there is no ‘one size fits all’, there are lots of habits that will help you build resilience – anyone can find what fits his/her personality type!
“As the working environment continues to change, our ability to act resiliently will be integral to navigating through new challenges and ensuring success. We now understand that while resilience is important in the workplace, in order to truly become resilient, these qualities must be nurtured outside of work and in day-to-day routine.
