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Following a barrage of psychometric testing for a job in finance, Ray – a high-performing Type A – expected to earn his usual excellent EQ and IQ scores. However, afterwards, the psychologist who conducted the tests highlighted one weak spot: a low level of resilience. Not used to negative feedback, Ray challenged her. After all, when encountering workplace problems, he always was the first to come up with creative solutions to difficult problems.
She explained that resilience was a little more complex than that. Perplexed, Ray started looking for more information.
He did not have to look too far: Resilience (or “grit”) is the phenomenon de jour, thanks to the recent bestseller by the psychologist Angela Duckworth. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance has made headlines in business and education circles.
She defines grit as “not just resilience in the face of failure, but also having deep commitments that you remain loyal to over many years”. The book makes the case that grit explains why some people, who may not be as smart or talented, tend to outperform their peers. Duckworth argues grit can better predict long-term success than intelligence.
Grit is a mental toughness that allows you to bounce back from setbacks and stick to your goals in the face of adversity. Ray had to admit that sometimes he lacks that resilience, and would spend many weeks dwelling on perceived injustices or problems, and that he often struggles to overcome a feeling of deflation to keep focus on his goals. Ever so often, a setback can completely paralyse him.
While a lot has to do with how your brain is wired, fortunately, there are ways to “learn” resilience. Large organisations, including the US Army and Royal Dutch Shell, have implemented special programmes to train employees in resilience.
The Harvard Business Review recently quoted a study by PwC which showed that such initiatives and other mental healthcare programmes returned $2.30 for every dollar spent — thanks to lower healthcare costs, higher productivity, lower absenteeism and decreased turnover.
The programmes help employees to cope with problems by enhancing their mental toughness and helping them to handle stress.
Some of the behaviours that can help with resilience:
Stop negative self-talk
Ray suffered a serious case of “monkey mind” – the term Zen Buddhists use for the constant chatter in your head, the equivalent of a bunch of drunken monkeys, screeching, babbling and jumping around nonstop. As with many driven people, his internal monkeys were an abusive lot – constantly criticising him over every small mistake, making large claims about his intelligence and worth at the first sign of a slip-up, and immediately reaching for the worst-case scenario.
These “thinking traps” create a spiral of negativity, ready to engulf him when he encounters an obstacle. To be more resilient, you need to create a reservoir of goodwill towards yourself, within yourself. Replace negative mind chatter with affirmation: for example, “I’m making progress and I can handle this.”
Change your perspective
George Bonanno, a professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, told The New Yorker magazine earlier this year that one of the central elements of resilience is perception: “Do you conceptualise an event as traumatic, or as an opportunity to learn and grow?”
In his research, he found that people with high levels of resilience see setbacks as temporary (“This won’t last forever”), local (“The problem only affects this one aspect of my life)”, and changeable (“I can tackle this problem.”). A positive attitude towards challenges is key. In fact, resilient people welcome challenges and know that they gain confidence in their ability to become better.
Reach out to others
Being resilient or gritty doesn’t mean that you carry your burden with silent stoicism. Research has shown that strong relationships bring the support and acceptance that help people become more resilient in the face of problems.
Invest in connections with other people, take an interest in those around you and volunteer at charities to make sure your life is full of meaning.
Look after yourself
Maintain a healthy lifestyle, set boundaries and make sure you have the physical and emotional resources to cope with challenges. Make sure you sleep enough and allow for some recovery time after challenging periods.
Take detachment breaks
This is recommended in a recent Harvard Business Review article, which cites research that supports balancing work with even a brief time for detaching from those activities.
This promotes greater energy, mental clarity, creativity and focus, and helps to build resilience resources, according to the article.
This article originally appeared in the 14 July edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here.
