Creating a Better Workplace With Hardiness

how to deal with difficult situations and bounce back.

What does it mean to have “psychological hardiness” and how is hardiness relevant to good leadership in the workplace? We will obtain a closer look at what hardiness is, what effect “psychological hardiness” can provide, a brisk dive into how to produce this in the workplace. All to end it with the effect it has and gives for both you as a manager and employees. The article is probably a bit colored by the military view I have. This is primarily because it is from here, that my most tremendous experiences with hardiness have been provided.

What is hardiness?

“Hardiness represents the conceptual opposite of vulnerability.” (Aven, 2018). As vulnerability, hardiness is about how stress and problematic situations affect us as human beings. And to what extent we allow this to affect us, through physical or mental hardiness. Physical hardiness is about how people cope with being subjected to the physical strain on the body, little food, no sleep, excessive activity over an extended period, cold, and heat. When physical hardiness deals with external influences on a person, mental hardiness is what happens inside the head, the mental.

Sweeney describes hardiness (Sweeney, Matthews, & Lester, 2011, p. 69) as a subcategory of resilience (Sweeney, Matthews, & Lester, 2011, p. 61). To achieve resilience, you also need to create hardiness. Resilience is described as the ability of a person to bounce back to its original shape. The example used in the book is a tennis ball that is put under pressure. Under pressure will we see that the shape of the ball changes, but when the pressure disappears it will return to its initial state. If we draw parallels between this and a person, represent resilience a person’s ability to return to the way they were in the past before the pressure and hardiness represent their ability to still work/function.

The three parts.

Sweeney further describes that hardiness is composed of three components, commitment, control, and challenge (Sweeney, Matthews, & Lester, 2011, p. 69). Commitment addresses the purpose behind the task, and how much you take part in it as a person and discover the meaning behind the work. Control is how much the person can alter the situation and dominate the situation they are in. The challenge is about how executive the situation is and whether you can utilize it for possible further development or whether it seems desperate and lost.

The book Operative Psychology provides an almost identical angle on hardiness as Sweeney. The book describes resilience as hardiness and believes it is an example of personality traits that have been shown to act as a buffer against stress reactions. Furthermore, the book believes hardiness is composed of involvement, control, and challenge, which reflects the theory from Sweeney (Eid & Johnsen, 2006, p. 111).

In summary, hardiness represents your ability to cope with situations under pressure. For then when the pressure eases return to the way you were before you were exposed to pressure, and still being able to perform. To succeed in this, you need a buffer of previous experience to master the subgroups of commitment, control, and challenge. By training aimed at these, you will be capable to become more resilient when the situation requires it.

What kind of bonus does hardiness provide?

Barton presents the following statement: “Leaders who are high in hardiness themselves exert influence on their subordinates to interpret stressful experiences in ways characteristic of high-hardy persons.” (Bartone, 2006, p. 139). He confirms this with a study done on cadets. It turns out that cadets who maintain a higher rate of hardiness (Show commitment, control and take on challenges.) have a more considerable influence on those they are to lead than cadets who lack or have little of hardiness (Bartone, 2006, p 140). One can draw a parallel to what leaders in the defense system think and believe, that an armed leader should influence them under him by using the power of examples and good communication (Forsvaret, 2012).

This is perceived to be easier and not least possible if you have strong hardiness in Barton’s attempt. Naturally, this does not only apply in the military, it is at least as important in the civilian. All workplaces can experience stress or demanding situations, of course, it is not the same everywhere. Some situations may be perceived by some as less stressful than others, but in any case, it is how you experience the situation that it falls back on. Being mentally resilient can therefore be seen as a big plus or a necessity. All in the attempt to be able to function when the situations are demanding, and not least to those around, and work together towards a goal.

The first step is always difficult.

To produce resilience in yourself and those you are to lead in the workplace, there are a few modest steps you can take. I would particularly like to highlight Barton’s stress categories in modern armed operations: isolation, insecurity, powerlessness, boredom, danger, and workload (Bartone, 2006, p. 134). By reducing the strain on these, it will be possible to ensure the employee possesses a more proper understanding of the work. They will feel they are in control and be able to take on new challenges in a more balanced way. This is as previously mentioned in the cornerstones of hardiness and will increase the mental hardiness of those you to.

Although Barton has focused on the military part, it is at least as relevant in the civilian. Looking back, how was your motivation last time you felt isolated? Unsure of the work tasks? Bored when it was routine on routine? Too high you and a workload did not dare to inform the manager? All of this draws back to Barton’s stress categories, as a leader it is your responsibility to perceive this, follow up, and make sure something is done.

How can you make sure your employee possesses a better understanding of what to do? By achieving this do you develop an environment where they can work more independently and make their own good choices. Or have you tried making sure the workload is stable, showing affection, following up on cases? All to make sure they know they are not isolated; it is okay to shout out when something is wrong. This is linked straight back to Barton’s stress categories.

Naturally, it is not possible to remove everything. But the places you can, you have a responsibility to influence. Not necessarily for your own sake, but for those you lead. What it looks like in your workplace, or how to counteract boredom? Insecurity? Or workload? It is up to you to find out, as no situations are alike. I would love to say that there are quick fixes for every situation, but there is not. We work with people, and people are not machines. Every single case will be unique in some way, but the symptoms that something is wrong are the same.

What does this mean to you?

Furthermore, the book Operational Psychology states that “Even events that in themselves can be extremely demanding, can be perceived as relatively unburden if we think we are capable to master them” (Eid & Johnsen, 2006, p. 112) This is directly transferable to the civilian work environment, especially in occupations that “require” massive amounts of work, long days, intense mental or physical strain.

The tension here is enormous, everything from the lawyer who must go through large amounts of case documents the night before the trial. To the telemarketer who has to snatch that deep breath before another outgoing phone to sell. If you have the feeling that I cannot do this, most people will probably feel it can be heavy if not a burden and go to work. You bear as the leader a responsibility to follow up and arrange for the employees to be seen and experience a belief in mastery at work.

By removing stress categories to Barton, you take the step in the promising direction to possibly facilitate that the belief in mastery can be experienced. The reason is straightforward, when you feel in control you can also feel you are mastering, these two experiences go hand in hand.

Summary

In short, resilience is your ability to handle situations under pressure. As a leader, this is something you need to be the same before, during, and after a difficult situation.

You must therefore like to take on challenges that give you experience in commitment, control, and challenge. It is not purely you as a leader who is to be trained, but also the employees and it is your responsibility to notice them, train them, and send them in the right direction.

Precisely because having employees that have a sense of hardiness, can lead to a better working environment in the form of job satisfaction and joy with new challenges.

Do you think this was thrilling and want to read on? On that occasion I recommend you look at some of my other articles on leadership. Over here are some examples you might enjoy.

And last make sure you give this post 50 claps if you enjoyed this post and want to see more.

References

Aven, T. (2018, 10 29). Store norske leksikon. Hentet fra Robusthet: https://snl.no/robusthet

Bartone, P. T. (2006). Resilience Under Military Operational. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY, ss. 131–148.

Eid, J., & Johnsen, B. H. (2006). Operativ Psykologi. Bergen: John Grieg AS.

Forsvaret. (2012). Forsvarssjefens grunnsyn på ledelse i Forsvaret. Forsvaret.

Sweeney, P. J., Matthews, M. D., & Lester, P. B. (2011). Leadership In Dangerous Situations. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.