Resilience for crisis management in the workplace

Andreas Marschel in an interview with experts on resilience for coping with pressure and stress in professional life

09/11/2012

Resilience in psychology essentially describes the ability to master crisis situations such as stress or pressure through a high degree of resilience and to use it for personal development. In doing so, the resilient person resorts to personal or socially-mediated resources.

Numerous coaches, consultants and psychologists are particularly concerned with the increasing stress in the workplace with the topic of resilience. The constant accessibility via mobile phone or e-mail, overtime, economic crises and the fear of losing a job lead more and more often to mental stress up to the burnout syndrome of employees, but also of managers and entrepreneurs. "Heilpraxisnet.de" spoke with the social scientist Andreas Marschel of the entrepreneur academy about the topic of resilience as a way to crisis management in the workplace.

Mr. Marschel, how do you define the property „resilience“ in a professional context?
Resilience refers to the inner resource of a person, to master conflicts, failures, defeats and crises such as professional failures, stressful situations over a longer period or a dismissal.

Why is resilience important in professional life?
Resilience in this context means to develop protective factors in order to be able to arm yourself against the rapidly changing demands and crises of today's professional life.

Why are some people more resilient than others??
Because some people understand or have learned by their own to be empathetic, communicative and with an inner attitude towards people, to lead and guide them.

Are resilient people more successful than others??
Yes, because they do not relate everything to themselves and know what belongs to me and what lies outside. They have a certain ability to talk and to refute.

Can you be resilience „learn“?
Yes, indeed it is possible to learn human behavior, basics of communication, an inner attitude and systemic thinking. In our courses, for example, we show how it is possible to implement this in professional life.

What methods or exercises are there to promote resilience?
As part of a coaching training or quality management business coaching training, participants use different methods and tools (inner team, placement, interviewing and questioning techniques) to consciously learn about their limits, abilities and learning fields. (Ag)

Image: Gerd Altmann / shapes: photoshopgraphics.com