r

[ rir Ii v i r i l l

be resilient to si
zations suppbrt^drf enAurage individua'

tional systems aiid culture. "ResiJItof orgaMzatioM establi^

structures that encourage'learning and flexibility while d6a
with the emotional reality of change, ig^isition and speed,"
says Mary Lynn Pulley from the Center for Creative LeadersM

WAYS TO DO THIS INCLUDE:

Accept change, organizations, groups and teams Connect to mission and values.
are often enamored with tradition and entrenched in
their collective viewpoints. Resisting or downplaying
change and its impact supports organizational rigidity
and fear. Instead, accept and address the reality of
change no matter how difficult or unpleasant it
may be.

Promote learning. Harness memory and

expertise. Build on lessons from past experiences and
long-term employees by creating systematic ways to
identify and convert individual expertise, skills and
experience into organizational resources.

Employees who feel connected to a larger purpose of

the organization who feel there is meaning in their
daily work give an organization great momentum
and foster the ability to bounce back from difficulty.

Understand identity, corporate culture is

the identity of an organization.lt is an expression
of underlying values. Resilient organizations create
a strong alignment between the values of the organization and the values of individual workers. They also
incorporate resiliency into their set of values.

Work through others. Create a network

Pay attention to what works, A great deal

of time is spent at work focusing on problems and
talking about what's not going well.This magnifies
negativity and minimizes what is working well. Over
time this drags down confidence in the organization
itself, discourages learning and limits flexibility.
Intentionally spend some time talking about what
is working well and why.

14

of partnerships and strategic alliances rather than

"doing it all." Consider using temporary workers,
independent contractors, consultants and other firms.
This allows for greater organizational flexibility and
mutability. Such elastic organizations can adapt to
a rapidly changing environment and quickly seize
new opportunities.
Adapted from Leading Resilient Organizations by Mary Lynn Pulley in Leadership in
Action, Vol. 17, No. 4,1997. Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC

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