There has been enormous emphasis on productivity and efficiency during my working career.
The future will focus more on resiliency as a means of profitable growth.
Resiliency has a specific definition in physics: the degree to which an object returns to original shape after being deformed.
People and organizations are not rubber balls. Resiliency means coming back stronger or improved after an impact. Returning to the original condition is not an option.
Resiliency looks like:
- Margin (time, energy, funds) for the unexpected
- Process improvements based on lessons learned from experience
- Redundancy in critical areas (including cross-training) and resources (supply chains, route to market)
- Designing so that substitute parts and services can be swapped in with minimal disruption
- Proactive changes in behaviors
- Leadership better tuned into external and internal factors
- Trust built by coming through a difficult time together (share stories which shape culture)
Resiliency is fostered by conscious design and reflecting on experiences. Resilience doesn’t “just happen” naturally.
The leadership issue here is to recognize the value of resiliency over the longer term, and optimize for resilience in the face of short-term pressures to optimize other ways. This requires skillful communication with stakeholders, compelling vision, and significant courage.
