1 Resiliency Assets Sept072016.ppt

1. RESILIENCY ASSETS

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• To gain an understanding of resiliency and its
relevance to healthy and effective communities
• To become acquainted with resiliency strengths or
asset that are related to individual and
organizational wellbeing
• To identify specific resiliency asset practices that
you may want to develop in your workplace setting

3. RESILIENCY DEFINED
• Resiliency has been defined as the capacity to adapt and realize
positive outcomes in daily living despite challenging
circumstances.
• Resiliency is also the ability to persist in the face of adversity and
to bounce back when challenges are encountered.
• Resiliency refers to people’s capacity to navigate and apply
resources (psychological, social, cultural and physical) that
sustain their well-being.
• Applying an ecological perspective, researchers have identified
protective factors associated with resiliency reflecting inner personal
strengths, as well as external protective contexts and processes
such as support provided by families, schools and communities.

4. Resiliency Defined
RESILIENCY ASSETS
• Resiliency based-strengths or assets come from a
combination of positive attributes we develop through
our families, education, social and cultural connections,
and other life experiences.
• Resiliency asset practices may reflect both individual
and organizational strengths that facilitate
empowerment, positive coping, healthy transitions and
learning.

5. TYPES OF RESILIENCY
ASSETS
Relationsh
ip Assets
Emotional
Assets
Adaptation
Assets
Competenc
y Assets
Attitudinal
Assets
Professional
Assets
Attitudinal
Assets
Emotional
Intelligence
Assets
Relationship
Assets
Adaptation
Assets

6. RELATIONSHIP ASSETS
• Relationships, social networks and connections with
family, friends and colleagues are the most important
resiliency assets.
• In the workplace, positive relationships with supervisors
and co-workers may increase our ability to plan, meet
goals and deal with challenges.
• Relationship Assets involve practices that build social
networks of support and community.

7. BUILDING RELATIONSHIP
ASSETS
Be other-centered: Take opportunities to be generous and kind with people,
especially to those who would not be the first to return the same.
Re-solve problems: Try to see situations from another’s perspective. Take
steps to get a strained relationship back on track. Admit your own mistakes
and apologize. Forgive the mistakes of others.
Refuse to put down others: Decide not to criticize co-workers in front of
others, but rather, praise strengths publicly.
Spend time with those who build you up: Plan to take time with those who
inspire you and help you to feel resilient.

8. PROFESSIONAL ASSETS
Resilient people perceive that they have greater influence over
circumstances because they have a good understanding of their own
knowledge and skills, and their ability to set realistic goals and plans.
Having a sense of workplace competence helps people feel comfortable
in their jobs and equips them to deal with workplace demands.
Professional assets come from a combination of training and personal
abilities, and the confidence that we have the specific knowledge and
skills for the job we are asked to do.

9. Professional Assets
Professional assets include:
•Possessing problem-solving and reasoning skills
•Acquiring training specific to our jobs
•Being supported in making decisions and taking action
•Knowing when to ask for help
•Having a love of learning

10. Building Professional Assets
Professional Assets involve practices that build professional
knowledge, confidence, and problem-solving skills.
•Seek Essential Training and Education: Know and make plans to
meet service and training standards for certification or recognition.
•Ask Questions: Do not hesitate to ask questions and to seek
clarification from colleagues or management personnel.
•Take Advantage of Learning Opportunities: Conferences, night or
weekend courses, and professional readings provide opportunities to
learn and grow.
•Get Involved in Community Organizations: Experience, skills and
confidence can be gained through volunteering or serving on
community boards.
•Consult Experienced Colleagues: Talk to people who have worked
in the field and who have practical wisdom.

11. ATTITUDINAL ASSETS
• Attitudinal assets involve maintaining a positive disposition
and sense of optimism, even in the face of difficult or
challenging situations.
• Having a positive disposition involves seeing adversity as
temporary and looking at obstacles as opportunities.
• According to researcher Martin Seligman, optimistic people
are less likely to develop “learned helplessness,” a state of
mind where people have learned to see themselves as having
no ability to control a situation.
• Seligman’s work has also shown that people who become
more optimistic challenge their negative thinking patterns,
especially those involving self-blame.

12. BUILDING
ATTITUDINAL
ASSETS
Attitudinal Assets involve practices that increase optimism and a
positive disposition even in the face of difficult or challenging
situations.
Recognize challenging situations as temporary setbacks rather than permanent
conditions.
Replace conversations regarding assigning blame with discussions of existing
strengths and assets for moving forward.
Identify and act on opportunities for short-term or immediate successes, and share
credit among team or working group members.
Learn to challenge inaccurate thoughts, beliefs or interpretations. Balance a focus
on challenging circumstances with perspectives related to existing strengths, past
successes, vision, hope and commitment.
Find within difficult circumstances the potential for creating new opportunities and

13. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
ASSETS
• Emotional intelligence involves the ability to
understand and manage emotions.
• Emotional skills help us communicate our positive
ideas and express feedback in ways that enhance
communication and understanding.

14. Building Emotional Intelligence
Assets
Emotional Intelligence Assets involve practices that
enhance the ability to understand and manage
emotions, and positively communicate with others.
Be aware of emotions and how they affect self. When things seem overwhelming,
take time for an emotional break and to regain perspective.
Pay attention to the feelings of others
Listen, ask questions and reflect feelings. This demonstrates an interest in others
and promotes accurate mutual understanding.
Communicate with sensitivity
Be mindful of how feelings are expressed and their impact on others. Effective
communication focuses on the concern (and not the character of the person). Make
“I” statements rather than “you” statements.
Words have tremendous power to determine how other people experience us, and
how they respond to an issue.

15. ADAPTATION ASSETS
Adaptation assets are the strategies we use to reduce
stress and to work through or adjust to changing
circumstances in our home or work contexts.
Adaptation strategies include:
• Development of targeted coping skills to address
areas of stress
• Proactive strategies for dealing with and adapting
to anticipated changes in teams or organizational
routines
• Application of support strategies to individuals
who are facing personal or professional transitions
related to work situations

16. Building Adaptation
Assets
Adaptation Assets involve practices that facilitate adjustment to
changing situations through positive coping and thriving.
Strategies include:
• Identify sources of stress and take action to reduce experienced
strain or stress.
• Learn to break problems down into parts so you can identify the
aspects that you have some control over. Make a plan to change
the things you have the power to change and to live a little more
easily with the parts you cannot change.
• Consult with others and apply problem-solving skills that draw on
a variety of perspectives.
• Clarify anticipated transitions and plan for upcoming changes.
• Allot time for enjoyable recreational and relaxation activities that
help replenish energy.
• Adopt a balanced and healthy lifestyle, including a commitment to

17. APPLICATION ACTIVITY
• Following the workshop, share with a coworker the
Types of Individual and Organizational Assets diagram
from this PowerPoint that outlines key areas of
organizational resiliency.
• For each asset, identify whether it is an existing
strength, emerging strength, or an area for
development.
• You can do this by assigning scores of 5 (strength), 3
(emerging strength), or 1 (area for development) for
each asset area.
• Once you have rated each asset area, consider ways in
which you could enhance organizational resiliency
Individual and Organizational
Assets

18. References
http://www.peoplemetrics.com/blog/how-to-build-employee-resilience-
even-in-a-recession/
http://www.natcon.org/archive/natcon/papers/natcon_papers_2006_e8.pd
f
http://www.psychologyfoundation.org/pdf/publications/WorkplaceResilienc
y.pdf