What is your team's ability to perform well under stressful situations?

Hardiness is the ability to adapt and perform well under stressful situations. It is a set of psychological qualities that characterize people who continue to perform well under stressful conditions. Hardy individuals have fewer life, work and interpersonal stressors and display mor adaptative coping skills. They are also flexible and adaptable in most situations.  

“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.” Helen Keller

Over three decades of research on individuals and teams has identified three drivers of hardiness:

•       Challenge: Seeing change and novelty as exciting and as an opportunity for you to learn and grow

•       Control: Having a sense of self-efficacy and the belief that you can influence outcomes in your life

•       Commitment: Being engaged and seeing most parts of your life as interesting and meaningful

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.”

Vernon Law

If you are looking for strategies to develop Challenge in yourself, consider:

•       Becoming an expert

•       Actively seeking feedback 

•       Being realistic

•       Being open to continuous learning 

•       Trying new things

•       Recognizing lessons in failures

If your goal is to foster Challenge in Others, consider

•       Always emphasizing value of change for learning

•       Modeling enjoyment, fun in variety

•       Treating failures as chance to learn

“The pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.” Irene C. Kassorla

If you are looking for strategies to develop Control in yourself, consider:

•       Not entertaining more negativity

•       Developing coping mechanisms

•       Breaking tasks down into manageable chunks

•       Recognizing (what is creating the anxiety)

•       Creating healthy boundaries

•       Increasing your release of endorphins – get physically active!

Consider the following if you would like to foster Control in Others:

•       Providing tasks that are challenging but within employees’ capabilities to achieve

•       Providing resources and time needed to accomplish goals

“I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion I brought to my work. I don’t know if you’re born with this kind of passion, or if you can learn it. But I do know you will need it. If you love your work, you will be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around you will catch the passion from you – like a fever.” Sam Walton

Develop Commitment by using the following strategies:

•       Establishing a support system that will help you to prevail

•       Committing to yourself

•       Quieting your mind and focus

•       Recognizing and appreciating that this process is going to be challenging

•       Staying the course

Foster Commitment in Others by considering the following:

•       Giving recognition, awards, praise for accomplishments

•       Being visible; spend time with team and peers

•       Supporting individual professional development (education, learning opportunities)

How can you use your role as a leader to promote hardiness in the people around you? Please let us know at info@integropartners.com