As individuals navigate this world of lockdown, manage work from home and find ways to keep themselves, their teams and organizations relevant in this unprecedented time, there is growing insecurity or a constant worry of how do they plan for what the future holds?

As layoffs become an impending threat or reality for some of us, or as organizations request employees to take pay cuts so that everyone suffers a little and nobody suffers a lot, there is a growing concern regarding job stability and individual employability. 

We hear the term resilience used a lot, especially as a key skill to successfully manage the crisis that we are in today. In psychology, resilience is quite simply the ability to adapt or bounce back or recover in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threat or stress. In the ultimate VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world that we find ourselves in, then how can we apply this resilient mindset to secure ourselves, manage our careers, support our teams and prepare for the battles that lie ahead?

In my work as a leadership and performance coach, we are increasingly working with organizations, leaders and teams on supporting them as they look ahead through a process of what we describe as Career Resiliency.

The way we see Career Resiliency is the ability of individuals to adapt or adjust to a career change as it happens and be able to align themselves to the evolving market demands. It combines key components of self-reflection, mindset adjustment, assessment, skill recognition, anticipating demand or need, being agile and taking a proactive approach. It focuses on aligning employer or organizational requirements with individual or team capability, and individual ambitions or goals.

In today’s workplace, the concept of Career Resiliency or being Career Resilient is relevant both to existing employees, as well as those who have unfortunately been laid off during this time. The process of career resiliency requires each individual to take responsibility for growth, development and their own career trajectory. It also requires the organization to allow for this individual development, provide the requisite support and communicate effectively to ensure alignment of all stakeholders. 

The concept of a career resilient workforce is not new and exists across organizations, the most prominent examples of which can be in the Silicon Valley corporate mindset. The Harvard Business Review piece in 1994, describes a career-resilient or self-reliant workforce as a group of employees who are dedicated to the idea of continuous learning, are ready to reinvent themselves to keep pace with the change, who take responsibility for their own career management, and are committed to the company’s success. They describe the shift to career resilience as the move from a parent-child relationship between the employer and employee to that of an adult-adult relationship. 

In today’s evolving environment, as both organizations and individuals try to make sense of the new reality, the concept of being career resilient is becoming more important. Based on our experiences with our Clients, here are some ways in which you can build career resiliency, while looking ahead for both yourselves and your organization:

1. Anticipate and Adapt: In an uncertain world, being able to find immediate or forward-looking solutions to unknown problems will ensure you stay relevant. Developing an outlook of flexibility, adaptability and creativity will be key to be able to successfully ride the tide. Make sure you listen carefully to different approaches, understand varied perspectives, develop an openness to change and be willing to let go of things/strategies/careers that no longer serve you.

1. Get Commercially Aware: In an evolving world, understanding trends and assessing market or business requirements will be essential. Whether you are an executive looking for a job in a difficult market or a leader trying to make your business survive, gaining that commercial awareness has never been more important as you assess your own strategy. Use this time at home to read, plan and determine your next step.

1. Reflect: A key aspect of career resilience is being able to assess your own wants and requirements. Being able to understand your drivers, triggers, values and determine your goals. In times where the external environment is completely out of our control, being able to dig deep and within is key to being able to survive.

1. Acknowledge: As industries become redundant and job profiles shift over-night, understanding what you, your team or your business can offer may help identify opportunities and highlight the gaps. For individuals looking for a new role at this time, it is particularly relevant for you to understand your skills, knowledge, experience and your own contribution. There has never been a more important time to take stock of what you bring to the table.

1. Develop and Develop Again: As we anticipate what the market demands, become aware of the changing requirements, reflect on our own drivers, and acknowledge our own skills and capabilities, we can determine key areas for us to develop ourselves or teams further. With skills getting outmoded quickly, workplace and consumer behaviour shifting rapidly, building a mindset of consistent and constant learning and re-learning is an essential 2020 skill. So take that course, build that capability and demonstrate that resilience to your career, your organization and yourself. 

For more information on EdpowerU’s programs and offerings on career resiliency, workplace behaviour, and leadership development please visit www.edpoweru.com or write in on equiry@edpoweru.com or WhatsApp us on +918928994776.

Leadership Coach. Entrepreneur. Author. 

Partner, EdpowerU

Shubika is a dynamic leadership and performance coach who has worked with a number of professionals, CXOs and senior-level executives across corporates, industries and educational institutions. She is the Founding Partner of EdpowerU that specializes in working with managers and leaders on their workplace behaviour and personal leadership development.

She has an ideal combination of corporate experience, having worked with large companies such as Deloitte in Corporate Finance in London, provided advisory services to a number of small and medium-sized businesses, as well as been the Managing Director of two early-stage start-ups in technology and education.

Shubika is a published author and a prominent media spokesperson who contributes regularly to key publications, portals, radio and television channels in India on HR, leadership, behaviour and education-related topics.

Shubika is an alumna of Mount Holyoke College, USA and Columbia Business School, USA; a certified Executive Coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accredited CTI, London, and has completed a certification in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, USA. She is also currently a Co-Chair of the Women’s Initiative at the WIC Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Securities Institute (CSI) in the UK; and has completed the “Building Excellence in Higher Educational Institutions” at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

Website: www.edpoweru.com

Twitter: @shubika

Instagram: @shubikabilkha1

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shubika

 ABOUT EDPOWERU

• At EdpowerU, we partner with organizations to manage the people challenge to enhance productivity, performance and retention towards individual and organizational success
• Powered by millennial leadership and supported by experienced professionals with over 40+ years of experience, we have trained and coached thousands of executives and leaders (including CEOs and CXOs) across industries and job functions in India, the UK, Asia, the Middle East and Europe
• Their multi-generational leadership gives them a unique advantage, allowing them develop relevant programs and offerings 
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• Their 360 approach enables us to work closely with leaders, managers and executives while empowering the multi-generational leadership towards greater organizational alignment. 
• Their offerings include, development journey programs, leadership programs, career resiliency offerings, executive coaching services, life and workplace skill-building offerings, and their unique behaviour assessment developed by global experts.