Resiliency Around the World

As human beings we are challenged every day. Sometimes really bad things happen. Perhaps you’ve been fired or abused or treated unfairly or injured severely. You can place blame or whine, seek revenge or play the victim – or you can be resilient, problem solve, see the upside of change and bounce back stronger than before. Is this merely a Pollyanna-style philosophy? Maybe, if you are pretending that there is no injustice or pain. But while some jump into a victim role and want others to suffer right along with them, those who think win-win and make the best of their situations end up better off.

Resiliency – it’s a concept that has permeated our culture during the last several years as change has buffeted our workers, families and organizations. No one has had a stronger role in communicating the dynamics and value of resiliency than the late Dr. Al Siebert, author of, The Survivor Personality and The Resiliency Advantage.

Al’s definition of Resiliency is the ability to:

• Cope well with high levels of ongoing, disruptive change
• Sustain good health and energy under constant pressure
• Bounce back easily from setbacks
• Overcome adversities
• Work in new ways
• Without doing dysfunctional things.

Since my old friend, Al, passed away in 2010, I have served on the Board of the Resiliency Center, which he founded, have trained a range of small and very large groups in Washington, Oregon, Canada and Botswana, and have certified resiliency trainers as far away as Germany and Japan. But the Center’s most exciting endeavor will be a conference held Monday-Wednesday, July 22-24 at Reed College as part of the internationally renowned Summer Institute on Intercultural Communication.

The conference is entitled: “The Power of Resilience: Navigating Diverse Cultures in Times of Change,” and is open to the first 40 who register. At a very low fee, the conference will feature both Oregon and international resiliency consultants who are expert at involving participants.

The first day will explore the five levels of Resiliency, leading people through the stages of transition with personal and organizational examples of best practices and the triumph of the human spirit. We will explore organizational resiliency and how to promote these vital concepts at all levels of your organization.

The second day will examine cultural differences such as how people deal with overwhelming circumstances such as the European financial crisis, the struggles of Native Americans and veterans returning from war, and the recent earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear plan disaster in Japan.

The third day will address challenges of job loss and career transitions, stress in organizations and self-care in a society where obesity, drug and alcohol abuse and high pressure life styles are undermining health and confidence in the future.

For more information, click here.

Hope to see you there,

Glen