Overview

When an individual is experiencing high levels of change, their capacity to adapt can rapidly be depleted. Resilience—the ability to remain productive during turbulence—helps people achieve better outcomes for themselves and their organizations. This one-day course explains why change can be challenging and introduces a set of seven “change muscles” that help individuals use their energy more effectively as they move through the adaptation process. Participants receive individual feedback on their own resilience, and engage in exercises that provide practice in applying each of the characteristics. They leave with an action plan for strengthening their resilience. Optional additions include a module on leading and managing for resilience, and a module designed to help intact teams explore their collective resilience.

Learning Objectives

Successful completion of this course will increase your knowledge and ability to:

• Understand why change can be challenging
• Recognize change-related disruption in work and personal settings
• Identify signs that you and those around you are experiencing change overload  Formulate effective responses to change-related challenges
• Enhance your own resilience
• Deliver more effective performance during turbulence

Instructional Strategies

This workshop is highly interactive. The instructor presents key concepts, then helps the participants build personal connections through discussions, interactive exercises, and games. Participants receive confidential individual feedback based on a questionnaire that is completed in advance of the course. They complete an action plan for developing their personal resilience, and are encouraged to reach out to others in the class to provide mutual support for development.

Audience

Developing Personal Resilience is designed for: 

• Individual contributors
• Supervisors
• Lower to mid-level managers
• Members of intact teams 

This topic can also be delivered effectively to upper-level managers and senior leaders with revisions to the format and design.

Prerequisites

Completion of Personal Resilience Questionnaire (online, available in multiple languages, takes about 15-20 minutes)

Content Outline

Why Change Can Be Challenging

• Expectations and Control
• Reactions to Change
• Adaptation Capacity
• Change-Related Overload

Introduction to Personal Resilience

• Defining Resilience
• Attributes of Resilient People
• Overview of Resilience Characteristics

Your Personal Resilience Profile

• What is the Personal Resilience Profile?
• Reviewing Your Confidential Results
• (Optional) Group Summary of Results

Exploring Your Resilience

• Positive: The World
• Positive: Yourself
• Focused
• Flexible: Thoughts
• Flexible: Social
• Organized
• Proactive

Action Planning

• Identifying Development Priorities
• Completing an Action Plan
• Committing to Next Steps

(Optional) Leading and Managing for Resilience

• Your Resilience as a Leader
• Supporting Others’ Development
• Using Resilience in Teams
• Building a Resilient Culture