the game has changed

COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change.

It has caused many organizations to step back and re-evaluate the common practices of change management.

Since March 2020 many long-held assumptions have been challenged and proven false.

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Karen FerrisComment
The Resiliator Is In Print!

We are in print and sales have already kicked off. I’m doing a happy dance.

My latest two books “Unleash the Resiliator Within. Resilience – A Handbook for Individuals” and “Unleash the Resiliator Within. Resilience – A Handbook for Leaders” are published.

In this article I answer some questions people have asked me.

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Karen FerrisComment
13 Reasons Why - #3 Be Prepared

If we want our organisation to be successful and able to outride each storm when it hits, we need our people to be prepared. We cannot ask them to face constant, volatile and uncertain change without providing the support to do so.

We need to enable them to be storm-riders.

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Karen FerrisComment
13 Reasons Why - #2 Stay Out of Jail

Investment in creating a resilient workforce is your get out of jail card.

In essence, the concept of workplace manslaughter involves an employer’s negligent conduct – whether action or inaction – which causes the death of an employee or a member of the public.

There are 3 basic criteria for an employer (or officer) to potentially fall foul of this new law: first, the employer’s (or officer’s) negligence; secondly, the employer’s (or officer’s) breach of a duty owed to an individual; and thirdly, that individual’s resulting death.

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Karen FerrisComment
13 Reasons Why - #1 ROI

Spending money on building a resilient workforce returns dividends. Employee engagement increases and turnover decreases. Absenteeism and sick leave decrease, and productivity and motivation increase which leads to increased profitability.

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Karen FerrisComment
The One Question We Should NOT Ask At This Time

The one question we should not be asking at this time

When will we return to normal?

I recently wrote this post about the return to the office (or not) following the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Belchamber responded to the post with this comment:

“Perhaps the scariest question I’m hearing/reading is “When will things get back to normal?” Let’s learn and adjust not return to ‘the way we’ve always done things’!”

John inspired me to write this article.

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13 Reasons Why - Busting Myths

I recently did a series of short videos on LinkedIn entitled 13 Reasons Why exploring why every organisation needs to invest in building and sustaining a resilient workforce.

I received positive feedback on the series and was asked to augment it with a series of articles on the same subject.

Before I explore the 13 reasons we need a resilient workforce, I wanted to bust five myths.

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Karen FerrisComment
Employer. Are You Ready?

In 27 days’ time, if you are responsible for negligently causing death in your workplace, you will be fined and go to jail.

The new Workplace Manslaughter Laws (Victoria, Australia) come into effect on 1st July 2020 and can impose fines of up to $16,522,000 and jail sentences of 20 years.

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Resilience - Protection

The Protector protects the team by making sure it has the capabilities and resources to be resilient.

The Protector’s language and behaviours say, “I care about you and I value your contribution.”

Leaders who protect their employees, support and stand up for them. They make sure they have everything they need to get the job done. They are not left to fend for themselves and flounder.

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Karen FerrisComment
Resilience - Restructuring

The Restructurer uses cognitive restructuring to challenge negative and reactive thinking.

What we say and how we say it can shape how we think. What we think can increase the intensity of our emotions and the way in which we perceive difficult situations. Therefore, the use of negative language can create negative emotions, which will result in low resilience.

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Karen FerrisComment
Resilience - Enquiry

The Enquirer asks questions—a lot of questions.

Leaders have to stop telling people what to do. Effective leaders lead with questions.

When leaders have a conversation based on questions, employees feel valued, motivated and empowered. This helps build resilience in the team.

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Karen FerrisComment
Resilience - Reflection

The Reflector provides time for individual and team reflection.

The Reflector encourages every member of the team to reflect on their recent experiences. Discussion about the challenge and how employees coped is encouraged.

This activity facilitates team members in supporting one another. The process can include action planning for the team. Reflection improves resilience.

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Karen FerrisComment
Resilience - Direction

Superpower - Direction. The Director provides clear direction for themselves and their employees. They provide clear direction but not at the expense of employee autonomy.

They provide clear direction without being prescriptive or micromanaging.

They enable resilience by providing clear direction, and when setbacks occur, they are able to get everyone back on track and working towards shared goals.

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Resilience - Accountability

Good leadership requires real accountability.

The Accountant is accountable, which means they take personal accountability for the choices they make and for their behaviours and actions.

The Accountant does not point the finger at others when things don’t go to plan. They take ownership and act accordingly.

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Karen FerrisComment
Resilience - Promotion

The Promoter promotes self-care.

In our busy, always-on lives, we can often forget to look after ourselves. When we don't look after ourselves, we can become stressed, anxious, fatigued and burnt out.

Self-care is core to our resilience in a world of constant change. We need to look after ourselves and encourage others to do the same.

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Karen FerrisComment
Resilience - Nurturing

The Nurturer builds a culture of trust and respect. When there is trust and respect, employees are connected. They feel safe to express their feelings knowing that there will be respect and their voice will be heard and valued. They trust you, as their leader, to be true to your commitments. It also reinforces that you trust them to do the right thing.

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Karen FerrisComment