Eva Cortés How to build resilient teams in fast-growing environments

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Building Resilient Teams in Fast-Paced Environments

In today's fast-paced world, the ability to adapt to change and bounce back from adversity is not just a valuable trait for individuals, but also a crucial attribute for teams. The current global situation has tested the resilience and strength of many of our teams, causing us to reevaluate how we operate in both professional and personal capacities.

“When people don't know their worth, they're hustling for their work.” - Brene Brown

This perfectly encapsulates the essence of creating and fostering team resilience. It's vital that every team member understands their value and the role they play in the team. If they don't, it may lead to an unproductive culture where team members feel they constantly need to prove their worth.

A Bit About Me

I am currently working at a fintech company, building sales teams and have been deeply involved in other functions ranging from technology, marketing, and diverse industries.

Alongside this, as a part of my giving back to the community, I volunteer for the Red School of Innovation, which trains refugees in technical subjects and helps prepare them for the job market.

What is Resilience?

I define resilience as the ineffable quality that allows people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. If we extend this definition to teams, we understand that resilience is the team's ability to collectively adapt, recover from setbacks, and move forward stronger than before.

Building Resilient Teams: The Core Traits

Several traits contribute to a team's resilience, based on my professional experience and extensive research. Below are the key traits:

  • Effective Task Completion: Resilient teams are confident in their individual and collective abilities to complete tasks to a high standard.
  • Clear Communication and Expectations: Resilient teams understand their roles, responsibilities, and what is expected from them at every stage.
  • Ability to Improvise: In the face of unexpected challenges, resilient teams can brainstorm and come up with creative solutions.
  • Trust and Psychological Safety: Resilient teams foster a culture where everyone feels safe to express their opinions, make mistakes, and take risks.

How to Build Resilient Teams?

I believe that the following practices can help create more resilient teams:

1. Partnership

Teams work the best when everyone feels they are an important part of a bigger picture. At my company, we view every team member as a partner, valuing their individual contributions towards our collective goals.

2. Diversity

Diversity in a team brings different perspectives, ideas, and solutions. By fostering a culture that accepts and appreciates diversity, teams can become strong and resilient.

3. Clear and Transparent Processes

Transparency in team processes ensures everyone is on the same page. This could help in enabling fair opportunity to every member and might strengthen trust among team members.

4. Making Mistakes is Okay

Teams that aren't afraid to make mistakes can foster creativity and innovation. It's important teams know making a mistake isn’t a failure, but an opportunity to learn and grow.

5. Open Feedback

Honest and open feedback is crucial to a team's growth and resilience. While it's important that the feedback is constructive, sugarcoating issues can do more harm than good in the long run.

Creating and fostering resilience in teams is no small task, and does require a level of investment of time, energy, and resources. However, resilient teams are our best bet for success in the ever-changing, fast-paced world we live in. Let's create more resilient teams together!


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