Resilient Teams Do These 5 Things

Resilience doesn't just happen. It's built through intentional leadership, clear expectations, and sustainable ways of working. Here are five key things resilient teams consistently do to maintain focus, energy, and effectiveness for the long haul.

1 - Empower People with Clarity

When team members don’t have a clear understanding of their role, it can lead to hesitation, inefficiency, or even complete paralysis. People can’t perform at their best if they’re unsure of what’s expected or who’s responsible for what. A capable peer leader may hold back, fearing they’ll overstep, simply because leadership responsibilities weren’t clearly communicated. On the other end of the spectrum, lack of clarity can cause people to move full speed in the wrong direction, pouring energy into tasks that don’t align with their core objectives.

Want Stephanie to confidently lead that new initiative? Make sure she knows it’s hers to own. Want your new team member to stop asking permission for every small decision? Clearly tell him you trust him to lead the project.

Empowerment starts with clarity.

This clarity doesn’t always require a formal job description, though those can help. It can also come through consistent informal conversations. The key is to ensure every team member knows:

• what they are responsible for,

• what success looks like in their role,

• and where they have autonomy.

When people are empowered in their roles, they can focus on what matters most.

But first, make sure you have people in the right roles. Before you empower your team, make sure everyone is set up to succeed. Are your people in positions that align with their strengths? Even the most diligent employee will hit a ceiling if their role demands skills outside of their natural talents. Role alignment isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s foundational and mission critical. When each person is working in their sweet spot, both individuals and organizations thrive.

2 - Act and Adapt Based on Outcomes

In addition to individual, role-based clarity, teams need to have clearly defined outcomes for the full operation. Without meaningful strategic targets, teams can waste a lot of energy and resources chasing the wrong squirrels and putting out the wrong fires. Clearly define your most important outcomes. Why do they matter? What indicators of success do you need to see? What is taking up a lot of energy without supporting an important outcome? Answers to these foundational questions will provide you with a solid anchor to tether to when making day to day operational and staffing decisions.

Without meaningful strategic targets, teams can waste a lot of energy and resources chasing the wrong squirrels and putting out the wrong fires.

3 - Pace Appropriately and Mitigate Fatigue

Make sure your team is working at a sustainable pace, individually and as a group. Resilient teams avoid several lethal types of fatigue.

• Change fatigue: Too much change, too fast, erodes trust and motivation. Constant shifts leave people wondering “Why put energy into THIS when it will change in six months anyway?” Be thoughtful about introducing change. Make sure it makes sense and is timely. Communicate the “why” behind it.

• Meeting Fatigue: Audit your meeting calendar. Invite only those who truly need to be there for their own benefit or for the good of the group. Small committees are often more efficient than big ones. It’s okay to ask someone to join for just the first half. It’s okay to schedule brief 15 minute meetings. Shorten default meeting times when you don’t need a full hour. It’s okay to send a recap to those who were only going to attend to stay in the loop. Instead of joking “this meeting could have been an email”… just right the darn email and move on. Save in-person time for things that need live interaction and human connection, like strategic planning, staff development conversations, or problem solving sessions.

• Programming Fatigue: What does your staff calendar look like? It’s important to remember that your employees have lives outside of work. And they should. A business development training for your sales team, a wellness challenge, an employee engagement task force, and a company picnic can all have their place, but they shouldn’t all happen during the same month. Perhaps do a “ground zero” audit of your program calendar. Is it too much? What would you include if you started from scratch today? What no longer serves your team?

• Feedback Fatigue: Of course wisely delivered feedback is necessary for individuals and teams to grow. But poorly given feedback can confuse or demoralize. And, too much feedback can overwhelm. Be discerning about when and how you give feedback. Focus on what is most critical to growth and be thoughtful in your pacing and delivery.

• General Workload Fatigue: If your team is consistently working outside of their realistic capacity, you’ll reach a breaking point eventually. If stretched too thin for too long, you are heading toward either burnout or turnover. Protect bandwidth. Plan ahead. Staff appropriately for the work you want done.

4 - Leverage High Performers (While Building High Potentials)

Your responsibility is two-fold:

• Maximize the impact of your high performers while they are here

• Develop younger and less experienced high-potential team members who can step up later, when the time inevitably comes

Your high performers can be your greatest asset. They do the best work and do it with efficiency and excellence. You can depend on them. Keep your high performers engaged fully. Understand their long-term goals and find ways to help them grow while keeping them active within their zone of excellence.

As you fully leverage your highest performers, also be mindful of the fact that they won’t be there forever. A better salary or an appealing opportunity could pull them away. And even the most loyal employees will eventually retire. Be strategic and forward-thinking about building up high potential team members who can more easily slip into critical roles when the need arises.

Keep your high performers engaged fully. Understand their long-term goals and find ways to help them grow while keeping them active within their zone of excellence.

5 - Proactively Address Problems

The most resilient teams don’t sit on problems for long. They don't ignore the big stinky elephant in the room. They name issues early, address them directly, and move forward. Avoiding tough conversations or necessary changes only delays the inevitable. Worse, it can also compound the problem. Foster a culture where honest feedback is welcomed and problem-solving is a regular rhythm. The faster you resolve issues, the less disruptive they’ll be.

Remember: Resilience isn’t about avoiding stress or changes. It’s about having the clarity, alignment, and adaptability to navigate challenges well for the long-haul. When your people are empowered, your targets are clear, your systems support sustainability, your team is equipped to thrive in any season.

Here at Vertical, we believe that thriving teams are comprised of thriving individuals.. If you would like to learn more about how you and your team can operate in a more resilient, impact-focused manner, reach out to us at info@verticalteamdev.com. We'd love to hear your story and connect you with a coach or a team development opportunity!