In the past few weeks, teaching (via zoom) has enabled me to access many interesting student’s questions and requests for orientation. They reveal that the socio-psychological and the individual and group relational dimensions have been over-requested and that (especially) managerial performance has been sustained (much more) in the ability to cope (and live) with ambiguity and uncertainty.

We are facing an extreme event that causes disruptions in the (so far known) models in the area of work and employment. Such disruptions challenge the way we do business, the way management is done - decision-making, leadership, regulatory aspects, etc. and, obviously, challenge the adaptability and innovation skills of individuals, companies, social groups and governments.

Long before this pandemic, research in the field of Positive Psychology and Emotional Intelligence, in addition to the work of professionals with extensive market experience and research dedicated to the exercise of leadership, had already attested that the personal dimension, on the mental and emotional levels, prevails over technical aspects, formulas and tools. The competitive advantage of resilience capabilities had already been proven. The changes in the dynamics of work resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic made it unequivocal that the skills of a professional are not restricted to technical aspects, nor to those of formal coordination and control.

This (new) daily life characterized mostly by ambiguity and uncertainty presents challenges such as having to make decisions based on (still) incomplete information and having to respond to the demand for quick actions to solve problems, with the least affect in the balance of individuals and the organization.

In addition, the (new) daily life of professionals and entrepreneurs is haunted by questions that obviously seem (yet) to have no answers:

• How to maintain emotional balance in the face of pressure and fear without negatively affecting the team?

• How can I keep my motivation and focus in the face of this accumulation of work and new tasks at home?

• How can I be sure that my real potential to contribute with solutions is being noticed?

• And for those who are entrepreneurs, what can I do for my company to survive?

In the face of the present challenging situation it is necessary to develop resilience.

It is necessary to persue a positive adjustment to turbulence, based on the activation of coping, recovery, adaptation and development capabilities.

Resilience can be understood as a characteristic of objects, individuals, organizations and systems (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2010). Psychological resilience is defined as the ability to move forward in a positive way from adverse, negative or positive, traumatic or stressful experiences; it is a broad concept that refers to processes or patterns of positive adaptation and development, in a context of risk and adversity (Zautra, Hall & Murray, 2010; Ong, Bergman & Chow, 2010; Luthar, Cicchetti & Becker, 2000). Resisting, dealing / facing and reacting productively in adverse and high pressure situations is the result achieved by those who are resilient. Resilience is a complex capacity that results from the sum of several aspects.

In the adaptive response of individuals and organizations in the face of systematic discontinuities and major disruptions, there are two levels of analysis of resilience: the resilience of people in the organizational environment and the resilience of organizations - in fact, a resilient result in the face of disruptions of this magnitude involve specificities of the industry, the region and the labor demanded, and depend on the action of multiple actors: companies, governments, society and individuals, which are essential for the analysis and management of changes, generating conditions for adaptation.

So, we can start by improving aspects of your resilience, which can help bringing answers to the questions above.

Tips that can be applied by professionals, leaders in organizations and entrepreneurs to change the pattern of ineffective responses and focus on the solution, when faced with adversities:

1) There is a part of the situation that you can change or influence. Accept that there is also what you do not control and cannot change. Act on what you can control;

2) Searching for guilt parties does not solve anything. Think about what you can do to solve or how you can influence others or other means to generate solutions. In the face of error, learning happens if those who made the mistakes are able to take responsibility for the solution.

3) Isolate the problem from other areas of your life. Limit the scope of adversity.

4) Remember that the duration of adversity is also limited: it may take some time but it will not last forever.

5) Before complaining about something, stop and think about what you would like to happen and ask: replace complaints with requests.

Cristina Goldschmidt is the Managing Partner of Consulting CG, where she works as a lecturer, consultant and trainer in the areas of human and organizational development and as a senior coach. Invited professor of MBAs at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) in the disciplines: Leading High Performance Teams, Leadership and Motivation, Organizational Modeling and Career Development, among others. Researcher on Resilience, Aging and Career. MSc. in Business Management and MBA in Project Management - FGV, Graduate in Law - Candido Mendes University -, and in English Language and Literature – University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). § For detailed academic and related professional activities: http://lattes.cnpq.br/2666129102545104

To know more:

COOPERRIDER, David L.; WHITNEY, Diana. What is appreciative inquiry. 2011.

DENHARDT, Janet; DENHARDT, Robert. Building organizational resilience and adaptive management. Handbook of adult resilience, p. 333-349, 2010.

GOLDSCHMIDT, C.C; PAIVA, K.; IRIGARAY, H.A.R. Organizational resilience: proposition for an integrated model and research agenda. In: TMS TOURISM & MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Algarve, Portugal, 2016.

LENGNICK-HALL, C. A.; BECK, T. E. Beyond bouncing back: The concept of organizational resilience. In: National Academy of Management meetings, Seattle, WA. 2003.

LUTHAR, S.S., CICCHETTI, D., e BECKER, B. The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development 71, p. 543–562, 2000..

ONG, Anthony D.; BERGEMAN, C. S.; CHOW, Sy-Miin. Positive emotions as a basic building block of resilience in adulthood. Hanbook of Adult Resilience, p. 81-93, 2010.

STEFANO, Rhandy Di. O líder coach – líderes criando líderes. 1. ed. Brasil: Qualitymark, 2009.

STOLTZ, Paul G. Adversity quotient: turning obstacles into opportunities. John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

ZAUTRA, Alex J.; HALL, John Stuart; MURRAY, Kate E. A New Definition of Health for People and Communities. Handbook of adult resilience, p. 1, 2010.