“Resilience” is a hot buzzword in today’s workplace culture, but what does that mean?  

Today’s workplaces face a number of challenges every day.  

It doesn’t matter if it’s a fast-paced business where there’s always a consistent level of stress or a business where the pace is a bit slower - managers and team members must tap into resilience daily to navigate workplace challenges successfully.  

To help understand this complex topic, we connected with Andi Saitowitz, Mindset & High-Performance Coach for Leaders & Teams. With her help, let’s explore the practical insights and strategies for building resilience in the workplace.  

What Does Workplace Resilience Mean? 

“I think that people make resilience out to be this crazy superpower, but resilience is actually our ability as human beings to handle what comes our way,” begins Andi, “And we are far more resilient than we realize.” 

In other words, we are all resilient in different ways every day, whether it’s at work or in our private lives. Resilience is something we all have; it’s simply a matter of nurturing it to make it stronger.  

Andi goes on to compare resilience to a muscle that helps us respond to challenges. The more the muscle gets used, the stronger it becomes. Ideally, this happens through intentional use, the same way muscles grow stronger through consistent exercise. The more resilient workplaces become, the more capable they are of responding to challenges.  

We identified five key resilience characteristics, including: 

• Courage 
• Strength 
• Creativity 
• Agility 
• Flexibility  

What’s important to remember is that while we want to nurture resilience in the workplace, it doesn’t begin there. The seed for workplace resilience is planted in other areas of our lives and is often dependent on the level of support available to team members outside of work. This includes family and friends – and even our pets. 

Daily Resilience in Action  

As Andi Saitowitz explained, the moments to build resilience generally happen in two ways. We either see them coming (runway moments), or we’re caught off guard (flash moments). Both help build up those resilient “muscles”, although in different ways.  

When employees are faced with challenges they see coming, such as an upcoming promotion or organizational changes, they have time to prepare and build up the mental energy to handle these challenges with courage, strength, and creativity. 

These “runway moments” may require agility and flexibility, but the urgency and need to think on one’s toes isn’t as pressing.  

In comparison, “flash moments” catch us off-guard and require all five resilience characteristics to be activated at once. This might come as an unexpected change in leadership, or an incident with a major client that suddenly puts a project into a tailspin.  

Whether they arrive as “runway moments” or “flash moments,” they average 12 stressors per day! These stressors might include: 

• Technical difficulties  
• Interpersonal conflicts with colleagues 
• Pressing deadlines  
• Unexpected logistical challenges  
• Communication misunderstandings 

The majority of adults agree that their workplace is a significant source of stress. However, employees can learn to approach daily challenges with flexibility and strength, rather than frustration and defeat.  

Building Resilience in the Workplace  

Armed with this knowledge, the question now becomes: how can managers train their employees to build resistance? 

The answer isn’t as straightforward as it might sound, because resilience itself isn’t a single characteristic. Instead, it encompasses each of the characteristics mentioned above. 

And these characteristics must be nourished individually.  

A big part of this is creating a workplace environment where resilience characteristics are nurtured. This means fostering a safe space where employees feel comfortable speaking up, taking risks, and trying new approaches without fear of ridicule or negative consequences.  

A resilient workplace provides the space for team members to grow and step into their authenticity, giving them the opportunity to become great.  

Andi further explains that the building blocks needed to nurture resilience characteristics include: 

• Mindfulness 
• Communication 
• Emotional Intelligence 
• Empathy 
• Compassion 

The Resilience and Wellness Connection  

Building workplace resilience goes far beyond corporate strategies and training programs. At its core workplace resilience is deeply interconnected with each team member’s wellness needs and how they’re being met.  

To nurture resilience, organizations need to take a comprehensive approach that addresses employee wellbeing, both on and off the clock.  

Workplace resilience relies on an organization’s ability to meet their employee’s needs thorough: 

• Encouraging schedules that support adequate, healthy sleep 
• Encouraging team members to not bring work home with them 
• Supporting proper nutrition through wellness classes and offering nutritious foods for employee consumption 
• Encouraging regular physical activity 
• Offering scheduled breaks throughout the workday  
• Fostering strong connection with colleagues  
• Offering benefits packages that holistically support employees 

For example, employers can offer flexible scheduling that allows employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance and work when they are most productive.  

Another option is to offer programs such as stress management sessions or mindfulness training, along with team building activities and collaborative projects to support a sense of community.  

Finally, make sure you have all of your employee’s wellness needs covered in your benefit package. Today, this includes offering pet benefits.  

The Connection Between Pets and Resilience  

Organizations that offer pet benefits show a strong commitment to supporting employee wellness on every level, including building resilience. While it might seem insignificant at first, the truth is the opposite. This type of support leads to improved emotional and psychological safety at work, which is key for resilience to flourish.  

Healthy pets also encourage healthy behaviors from their owners, such as:  

• Promoting regular exercise and time spent outside every day  
• Helping establish daily routines  
• Providing stress relief and emotional support 
• Encouraging breaks during the workday for team members that work at home  

When employees have the peace of mind knowing that their pets are covered by insurance and other benefits, they feel supported in their role as pet parents, and valued as a team member.  

A Few Final Thoughts: The Value of Pet Benefits 

Let’s face it, today’s work environments are full of challenges, and the need for resilience is strong. By offering pet benefits, companies contribute to a more supportive workplace culture.  

Offering employees pet benefits is an ongoing investment in your organization’s strength and adaptability.  

Contact Pet Benefit Solutions today to learn more about our cost-effective, easy-to-offer pet benefit options. We are the only voluntary benefits provider that specializes in both pet insurance and pet insurance alternatives, offering employees the flexibility and savings they need to care for their entire pet families. Reach out to us today to learn more.