Communication Resilience at Work
Resilience is our ability to face challenges head-on, learn from them, and use that wisdom to shape our future. How we react when we hear that dreaded word “no,” or when we have to step out of our comfort zones ties back to our sense of resilience.
A recent study found that only 37% of full-time workers feel like they are highly resilient. The good news is resilience is a skill, and anyone can learn it.
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Our CEO and Founder, Jessica Chen, recently hosted a Soulcast Media | LIVE event on LinkedIn. She interviewed Chartered Psychologist and Author, Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts.
They shared tips and personal stories about building communication resilience at work.
1. Becoming Resilient
Resilience is the kind of skill that can help us when we’re asking for that raise, facing a nerve-wracking presentation, or dealing with life’s inevitable setbacks and failures. The beauty of building resilience is that once we know it’s something we can build, we can better handle curveballs with grace and determination.
Consider the following:
- Use Resources – Building resilience is like committing to a journey of learning and growth. For example, if we’re up for a promotion and didn’t get it, instead of stewing in disappointment, we can sign up for a course tailored to helping us improve our communication skills and talents. We can also build relationships with key decision-makers in our workplace. By leaning on resources available to us and the people around us, we are building up our resilience because we are looking forward, not backwards.
- Opportunistic – During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Jessica said sitting around and hoping things will work out is passive thinking vs active thinking. Sometimes, we’ve got to roll up our sleeves and create opportunities for ourselves. For example, let’s say we’re trying to build more visibility within our organization. Instead of just hoping people will notice us, we’ve got to take the initiative to put ourselves out there. Maybe it’s something small like volunteering to lighten our manager’s workload, or stepping up to lead a project that everyone else brushed aside. It’s finding strategic ways to get in front of people so they see us. Building resilience means being proactive versus reactive. Taking action also helps us build more confidence at work.
2. Communication Resilience
Speaking well comes naturally for some people, but for many of us, it’s a skill that needs to be honed and refined. To build communication resilience, we have to know it gets easier the more we do it.
Consider the following:
- Excellent Communication – Being a great communicator helps us build meaningful relationships in the workplace. The better we get at conveying our thoughts and feelings, the stronger these connections become. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, there was a question from the audience about finding a mentor. Gemma and Jessica said, instead of just blurting out, “Hey, Jane, will you be my mentor,” they suggested a more savvy approach. For example, compliment the person on what you like about their work, what you admire about them, and how you would love to learn from them. It’s subtle, more personal and intentional. Excellent communication skills means finding more thoughtful ways of communicating what you’re looking for and not being afraid of building connections with others.
- Communicate The Process – During the Souclast Media | LIVE, Jessica shared there may come a point in our careers when we feel like we’re stuck in a “negative” loop, and we’re left wondering if we’re on the right track. Building communication resilience means being open to having honest conversations with people to see what else is out there and/or how we can grow in our current role. For example, scheduling a meeting with our manager to discuss any unsettled feelings. Reaching out to old colleagues on LinkedIn. Asking our team member for feedback on a specific project so we can do better next time. Communicating the process is knowing we don’t always have to have all the answer before we can reach out and engage with people. Proactively communicating is knowing we can share, inform, update others as things are happening in real time so we don’t continue feeling stuck.
Building communication resilience in the workplace isn’t just about being better at talking – it’s also about showcasing our strengths and not being afraid of what others think. Communication resilience is taking a proactive approach to sharing what we’re doing and building connections with others.
Check out Jessica’s Youtube Channel for the full LIVE version of Jessica’s conversation.
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