At last month’s ATD 2019 International Conference & Exposition, keynote speaker Seth Godin stated that leaders of talent development are the “architects” of the future because the essence of your work is that you make change happen.

But, are you and your organization prepared for the change ahead? How do you know?

The first step is understanding how equipped your employees are for handling change. At meQuilibrium, we help companies establish a baseline, and provide a solution to build the skills needed for success—the real-world skills of resilience.

At the event, our Chief Science Officer and co-founder, Dr. Andrew Shatté, shared how rewiring individuals with these skills, such as burnout management, establishes a workforce that quickly thinks, adapts, and grows on the job.

How would a workforce capable of change advance your future workplace vision? Discover the role of resilience with our team’s takeaways from the recent event.

1.“Be your truest self in service of others.” – Oprah Winfrey

“Leading by example” might be a bit cliché, but it has a significant impact when you’re talking about how leadership thinks and the impact that has on a workforce’s behaviors. As architects of the future, the best way to lead is to understand who your truest self is and how you can grow.

Winfrey noted that we are all here to offer our gifts and talents and to use them in service of something other than ourselves. Resilient people can read and react to others’ social and emotional cues, allowing them to identify trouble earlier, address it, and empower their teams to reach their goals.

2. “We call them soft skills—how dare we. These are real skills.” – Seth Godin

Rewire the common bias about soft skills by redefining them as the real-world skills employees need to succeed.

Developing individuals with these critical skills is not as scalable as one might think—it’s not a “one size fits all” situation. Seth went on to describe talent development as the generous persistence of showing up again and again for the people we seek to change. A learning program targeted at improving core cognitive function needs is supporting individuals at the most intimate and personal level. Be strategic in your talent development strategy by personalizing your program in a way that meets your employees where they are.

3. “Change is no longer linear. It’s exponential.” – Dr. Andrew Shatté

In today’s transformational business environment, it’s imperative that organizations and their employees be agile. Change and unexpected challenges are no longer predictable and come from many directions, whether it be leadership, technology disruptions, or budget shifts. This state of the workplace requires employees that are equipped to not only deal with ambiguity, but thrive within it. When a project hits an unexpected roadblock, resilient employees and teams are able to see past the symptoms of a problem, persevere to discover the underlying cause, and come out as a stronger team ready to take on the next challenge.

The innate ability of highly resilient employees to lead in times of change should be seen as a company asset. These leaders connect with others in a way that helps their team seek new challenges and embrace new opportunities. Relating to others, whether it be in person or via a social network, serves as a buffer against stress and helps encourage success in the face of change.   

So, ask yourself, how resilient is your organization? If you’re unsure or can’t answer this question, the good news is, resilience can be measured and learned. Understand more by downloading the infographic:

7 Skills Your Employees Need to Engage and Perform
About the Author
Lauren Croop

Lauren is the B2B Marketing Director at meQuilibrium. She believes in the potential of technology to make the world a better place to work. With a background in workforce development and mobile-first workplace strategies, she has a passion for telling compelling transformation stories that inspire others to build resilience at their company.

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