Resilience describes the ability of individuals, groups or organisations to overcome difficult situations and emerge stronger. In relation to teams, this means that they are able to overcome challenges and setbacks without losing their performance or motivation. They are able to work through conflicts constructively and maintain productive working relationships. Resilience is therefore an important part for teams and organisations being successful in times of change and uncertainty.
Team resilience: competencies and development process
Whether a project team, a fixed work team, a virtual team or an agile team, a certain level of resilience is important for all types of teams because they are often confronted with complex issues and rapidly changing work environments and resource situations. By actively developing resilience, teams can improve their ability to overcome challenges and achieve their goals in tough times. This can also help to increase the engagement and satisfaction of team members and reduce the risk of burnout.
As on an individual or personal level, resilience can be seen as a characteristic that each team possesses in very different degrees. It is important for all team members to understand what level they are at in this regard and in which direction they want to develop as a team.
The demanding process of resilience development requires sufficient time and attention from leaders and team members in both traditional and agile organisations. In addition, as with any team development, the size of the team, the type and duration of stress and the specific team goals should be considered.
Here are some options to promote resilience in a team:
Supporting open communication and constructive feedback on successes, mistakes and learning opportunities
Enabling the experience of team efficacy, which should not be confused with the self-efficacy of individuals
Developing skills for conflict and problem solving and shared decision making
The creation of an emotionally positive work environment that fosters support and appreciation
The emphasis on self-care and recovery periods for all team members
Providing training and resources to foster resilience, stress management and self-leadership.
Most of the competencies and measures mentioned here take a central role in agile leadership. In this context, it is important to understand that an agile team does not 'automatically' have to be resilient. It is worth combining the two topics - agility and resilience - in team development. However, the order and weighting of these topics must be tailored to the specific state of the team and its organisational context.
What are the characteristics of resilient teams?
1. Better problem solving
A resilient team is better able to deal with unexpected difficulties that arise during work or projects. Team members can find solutions more quickly and adapt constructively to new situations.
2. Stronger cooperation
If a team is able to react constructively to unexpected events, this can help to maintain or even strengthen cooperation between team members even in critical situations. In contrast, in less resilient teams, isolation of members and reduction of cooperation is often observed in stressful situations.
3. Higher motivation
A resilient team can maintain its motivation even when going through difficult times. The members of the team support each other and emphasise common goals. Through this bond, emotional and professional resources are activated.
4. Enhanced performance
So-called high-performance teams are often also characterised by their pronounced resilience. In stressful situations they can quickly activate their resources: Concentration, cooperation and problem-solving skills are ramped up. This can help the team to achieve its goals even in difficult situations and sometimes the team even achieves better results.
For teams and the cooperation culture as a whole, it is important that the promotion of resilience is not seen as just another performance driver for the one-sided benefit of the organisation. In such cases, team members feel manipulated or exploited and react with withdrawal of trust and resistance.
The topic of 'resilient teams' is intensively discussed in many areas of organisational and occupational psychology as well as in other disciplines such as sociology and management theory. Here are just a few examples of authors who have been helpful in my work with teams:
Monique F. Crane Managing for Resilience - A Practical Guide for Employee Wellbeing and Organizational Performance. Routledge, London 2017
Adam C. Stoverink, Bradley L. Kirkman, Sal Mistry, Benson Rosen Bouncing Back Together: Toward a Theoretical Model of Work Team Resilience
Academy of Management Review, Vol. 45, No. 2. Briarcliff Manor 2020
Oliver Haas, Brigitte Huemer, Ingrid Preissegger Resilienz in Organisationen. Erfolgskriterien erkennen und Transformationsprozesse gestalten.
Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart 2022