THE OPPORTUNITY of RESILIENCE

Resilience: the ability adapt and respond to challenges, stressors and change; toughness; the capacity to seek positive outcomes through adversity and challenge.

The COVID pandemic, it seems to me, had some dramatic impacts upon the display of human resilience. It is safe to say, that the global human psyche was challenged; resilience was the only option because our lives all changed, and it wasn’t open to discussion or debate.  I think it is also safe to say that many of us suffered a degree of “resilience fatigue” … in essence, “I’ve been so distorted and shape-shifted that I’m not sure I can adjust much anymore.”

Is this resilience fatigue partly responsible for the “quiet quitting” trend in the workplace?  Quiet quitting is that trend where employees choose to withdraw their effort and commitment to their jobs while still expecting a full paycheck.  It sometimes feels as if the workforce is telling us, “we’re not willing to give of ourselves to anything less than a 100% perfect fit”.  I must say that I’ve been fortunate to have found some great career fits in the various positions that I’ve held over the years, but that is not to say that every day of my employment history has been a bed of roses.  I’ve always believed in the purpose of the teams that I’ve been a part of, but some days and some parts of the job were more enjoyable than others.  Am I crazy? … I thought that was the social contract and that we’ve called it “work” for a reason … it IS work and I’ve accepted that. If I find employment that matches my skills and interest, I negotiate to find mutually acceptable remuneration.  The goal is to be paid 100% of my fair market value for 100% of my effort. If I can’t come to terms on that, I look elsewhere … isn’t that the deal?

Now please don’t get me wrong, my thinking does not originate from the Industrial Revolution, and I am not saying that you or I should surrender our soul to our employers (and I don’t believe any of our employment contracts suggest that). The wise employer looks to make their work socially meaningful and to identify employees who resonate with that purpose and meaning.  I, as an employee, look for that in my career moves. But even when the company purpose is well-aligned with my own, some days, some tasks, and some responsibilities are more fun than others.  The old saying that “anything worth doing is worth doing well” comes with the necessity of investing myself fully in the effort … not just the stuff that I most enjoy doing.

Here’s where I think there is a HUGE opportunity for us career-minded people in the workforce.  Many of our workmates who compete with us for wages and career promotions have little resilience and it is causing them to practice their own version of quiet quitting. They’re “bringing it”, but they’re not bringing ALL of it … especially when it isn’t 100% fun. We resilient ones, however, seem to get it. We believed in the company’s purpose and mission when we took the job, and our eyes are keenly searching for all the ways that we can advance our company’s pursuit of them. Our resilience won’t allow us to quietly coast while accepting our full paycheck; we’re more prone to see and propose ways that we can stretch and grow in alignment with the company strategy and vision. We recognize that when new growth opportunities arise, it is our track record of proactive, resilient effort that is going to cause our supervisors to think of us as the person for that job.  We’re even willing to talk with our supervisors about opportunities that we see in our companies and how we might be able to help advance our company’s mission and vision.

I once received this investment advice: “if you see something you like, do not buy IT; buy its STOCK instead” because chances are other people will also like it and many will choose to make a purchase. Quite a simple thought, right?  Similarly, I might offer piece of contrarian advice: “when you see social trend (like quiet quitting), don’t follow it; swim the other direction instead” because it is going the opposite direction that will get you noticed.  Now is a great opportunity to intentionally grow our resilience and to buck social trends. For those brave enough to go against the flow, great opportunities for advancement exist in those companies whose purpose resonates with our own.  Let’s take control of our lives and our careers … buck the trends … communicate, apply ourselves, contribute, invest.  There are a lot of teams out there looking for us; chances are your current employer is one of them!  Dare to step forward … and upward in the process. If your employer’s mission is not well aligned with yours, it is a great time to pick  work that does resonate with your own purpose and then to display the resilience that makes you special!

So, what do you think?   Is resilience in your tool kit?  How have you used it to separate yourself from the pack?  Do any of the quotes list below resonate with your experience?

Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare – Angela Duckworth

Persistence and resilience come only from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems – Gever Tulley

As much as talent counts, effort counts twice – Angela Duckworth

What good is an idea if it remains an idea? Try. Experiment. Iterate. Fail. Try again. Change the world – Simon Sinek

When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience — Anonymous

Ross’ career has spanned both private practice and academia. Along the way, he has been actively engaged in orthopedic training of veterinarians for more than 30 years. Ross is a professor Orthopedics at Colorado State University, Associate Director of Education at the Translational Medicine Institute and a frequent educator at orthopedic courses held here at CSUVetCE and around the world.  If you, too, believe that “what if … thinking” is the key to innovation and advancement beyond that status quo, please get to know us at www.CSUVetCE.com because nothing fuels our passion like rubbing elbows with those who are similarly driven.