The Keys to Staff Resiliency
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 days ago
- 13 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Fabio da Silva Fernandes knows what it's like to stumble. In 2021, he left his long career in the fintech industry to start his own wellness practice focused on mindfulness and Reiki, and now he explores the complex topic of resilience on his inspiring podcast called The Stumbling Spirit.
Throughout my previous career in the tech industry, I was lucky to have adept leaders who mentored me and supported my career growth. I’ve also had the opposite. In fact, I often found that how management treated me and my colleagues had a direct impact on our overall productivity and wellness on the job. So, what sets apart a true leader from mere titles of manager, president, and executive? In my experience as both a frontline employee and people manager, I’ve learned that there are three key attributes that help foster a healthy work culture: mindfulness, compassion, and happiness. Whether employers realize it or not, leadership style has a direct impact on staff resiliency.
Learning through experience
My first exposure to leading a team was early in my career in the software industry. I was a customer service representative in an inbound call centre for a small startup in Toronto. It was clear that I was hired based on my personability, not my technical proficiency or job experience.
It was 1994. In those days, companies invested heavily in in-house training to bring staff up to speed on computer basics and their full range of products. I was a diligent employee and affable by nature, which made the job of handling irate callers and customer complaints easier. While I attempted, with some success, to turn around these callers into satisfied customers, they often just wanted to be transferred to technical support to get their software issues resolved.
It wasn’t long before I was promoted to team coordinator, an associate supervisory position, where I assisted my boss with certain administrative tasks and coaching functions. I also acted as a backup for escalations and filled in for my supervisor during absences. I was 22 years old, and in hindsight, I was way too young and inexperienced to handle any managerial responsibilities. While I put in the effort and produced good work, it wasn’t long before I realized that my leadership skills were lacking.
One of my biggest mistakes, stemming from my inexperience at the time, was toeing the line to the extent of muting my compassion and relatability with my team. Having been on the receiving end of this dynamic over the years, it leaves staff with a bad taste in their mouths because all they want is authenticity, understanding, and empathy about their circumstances, be it their heavy workload, challenging customers, or unreasonable performance expectations, among other things.
I cringe when I think back to things I said during one-to-ones and team meetings about multitasking being essential to the job as a measure of productivity. The latest scientific research shows that it’s impossible for humans to multitask. In fact, multitasking is a detriment to productivity and contributes to increased stress and mistakes on the job, according to Psychology Today. However, we didn’t know this information back in the ‘90s. It was a myth, but this is how managers were indoctrinated in those days about what made employees valuable.
Despite my flaws as a leader, in 1997 I landed an overseas job with the same company as a supervisor of my own team. For several reasons, I quickly discovered that I did not thrive in my new position despite the long hours, stress, and effort. While my lack of experience contributed to the problem, so too did the inadequate guidance and support from my manager.
A few short months into the role, I resigned and returned to Canada with my self-esteem shattered. This experience humbled me to the core.
After eight long months of job searching, I was headhunted by a former colleague I deeply respected and was hired on a short-term contract with another software firm. I started from the bottom again. The contract eventually turned into a full-time job and the beginning of a long career in fintech.
With the exception of a short career break in the early 2000s, I earned my stripes with this new company, performing admin roles for the IT and legal departments in the first few years before returning to the customer support world, first as a business analyst for internal support projects, followed by team lead, then manager. Luckily, the managers I respected throughout my tenure influenced my leadership style in addition to my accumulated lived and work experience.
I thrived in my leadership role and grew into a decent manager. In 2015, I incorporated the practice of mindfulness into my personal life on a regular basis. Inspired by a mindful leadership retreat that I took in 2017, I introduced mindfulness concepts to my team and management counterparts in the form of a structured workshop to enhance workplace culture and interpersonal dynamics. It worked. One piece of positive feedback that I received from one of my direct reports was that they were happier after having taken my workshop, so much so that they successfully applied some mindfulness approaches with their family at home.
Remembering to be mindful
There are many overlapping definitions of mindfulness, but to me, it’s the practice of compassionate presence and awareness.
From this standpoint, we embody the attitudes of non-judgement and loving-kindness to notice what is happening in the here and now and to understand what we might need at any given moment. Since it is a practice, we approach it with intention, purpose, and consistency.
In Season 1 of The Stumbling Spirit Podcast, I interviewed executive leadership coach and mindfulness practitioner Jonathan Reynolds, who talked about the roots of mindfulness. He said, “For me, it's that continuity piece. It's the capacity to be continuously aware of yourself. There’s this overtime component. I mean, the traditional word for mindfulness in Sanskrit was Smriti, and in Pali was Sati. [It] translates literally as things remembered, and so ultimately mindfulness is remembering, but it's remembering something very specific, which is remembering the present moment. So that capacity to remember over time is, I think, good mindfulness practice.”
Rose Mina Munjee is a scholar and researcher on the topic of mindfulness. Rose is also one of my teachers and mentors who led the mindfulness retreat I referenced earlier. I had the opportunity to interview her in Season 1 of my show, where she said this about mindful leadership: “I think mindful leadership is thoughtful leadership. To be a mindful leader, I think one has to look within and be aware of our own blind spots, our own motivations, our own values, and be open to being vulnerable, to connect with those who you're leading, those who you're working with. So I think it takes a sense of awareness, mindfulness of what you’re doing, why you're doing it, as well as an empathic and compassionate approach."
Furthermore, Rose expressed optimism envisioning a world where companies proactively incorporate mindfulness into their organizations. She said, “I think it's possible, but I think embedding those values [of mindfulness] within the strategy of the organization to understand what that even means. What does being mindful even mean? How far do you take it? What about diversity? What about sustainability? What about the impact on the environment? What about living according to your values, approaching your relationships according to your values, the relationships with clients and employees, and how products are developed? So I think that concept has to be embedded into the entire organization at all levels. Often, senior leadership has to set an example or state the objectives and be very clear about it, so that the people who are actually doing the hands-on operational day-to-day work know that and feel supported in that, and there has to be a feedback loop.”
In my interview with Jonathan Reynolds, he explained why performance is a vital topic when broaching mindfulness with his consulting clients and said, “I think performance is the currency of businesses. They want to perform well. Some of these words, I want to clarify. Optimal performance doesn’t mean the highest possible performance. It means the optimal performance, and that might not be the highest possible. It might be more sustainable if you can do a hundred widgets an hour, but if you’re going to have a stroke when you're 45, why not do seventy-five widgets an hour and have no problems throughout? So, what is optimal, and what is meeting the performance goals? For me, it's sort of the good-to-great model to see a longer end game than the bottom line on a quarter a year. What does it actually mean to be a successful business? Great numbers are often vacuous. There’s nothing behind some of that stuff. It's just inflated to be inflated. So I think to really have a sustainable business and a successful business and to have great performance isn't to have the highest possible numbers. It’s to support each other, to live our best lives, and to live peacefully, and to have everybody have enough, and so ultimately, I think if we're doing that and leaning performance in that direction, that's where the awareness piece really comes in.”
Applying compassion
“Compassion is the wish to see others free from suffering.” – Dalai Lama
A few years ago, Oprah Winfrey did an interview with Jeff Weiner, former CEO and now Executive Chair of LinkedIn. At the time, Jeff had received a 100% approval rating from his company’s staff.
According to Jeff, compassionate leadership “begins with the connection between individuals,” and he drew an important distinction when he said, “managers tell people what to do, leaders inspire people to [get the job done].” Jeff explained that releasing control is an important part of this picture and that he inspires his staff in three ways:
Clarity of vision.
Courage of conviction.
The ability to effectively communicate both of those things.
He further clarified that compassion is unconditional and “matters the most when you don’t have a natural connection with a person,” and also during times of transition. I couldn’t agree more.
When I reflect on compassion in the workplace, I see it as an integrated and collective approach to being mindful, aware, and open to seeing, sensing, and recognizing other perspectives and experiences, even if they are contrary to our own, and responding in a way that minimizes suffering and maximizes success and wellness across the board.
Focus on happiness
I was once interviewed by a senior leader who asked me what the most important thing is about being a manager, and without hesitation, I replied, “keeping staff happy.” I explained that it’s not only the right thing to do but that it positively impacts productivity and performance overall. This executive challenged me on my opinion, but years later admitted that I had made a valid point, and the stats speak for themselves.
Forbes Magazine says that happiness in the workplace has a range of benefits and cites research from the University of Oxford, which states that “happy employees are 13% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. They are more creative, take fewer sick days, and are better at collaborating with their colleagues. Moreover, happiness at work is closely linked to lower turnover rates, which can save companies significant costs in recruitment and training. Happy employees also provide better customer service, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
Red flags
Below are some red flags to avoid falling into bad management habits:
Letting go of good people: The reality is that layoffs happen. However, there’s a problem when highly regarded staff who are subject matter experts in their fields are dismissed without cause. Sometimes, executives don’t give adequate explanations to their organizations about such dismissals. Consequently, active employees might feel unsupported, undervalued, and destabilized, especially if there are drastic changes to reporting structures, processes, and responsibilities as a result. This can have a negative ripple effect, impacting employee morale and retention overall.
Cronyism: Unfortunately, some organizations might get into the bad habit of promoting the same staff to executive positions, not giving a chance to other qualified staff to apply for such roles. In some cases, ex-employees who had previously resigned or were once dismissed are hired back to take on these sought-after positions. While this is bound to happen from time to time, when it occurs on a regular basis, employees will notice this barrier to upward advancement and may start looking for jobs elsewhere.
Adding to stress: Stress can manifest in different ways. If staff feel overstretched and unsupported, it can negatively impact their overall wellness. Ignoring issues like excessive workloads, tight deadlines, long hours, and workforce shortages can hinder job performance, product quality, and customer satisfaction.
Insensitivity: Unfortunately, employees don’t get to vote for their company’s leaders. When there’s a lack of mindful communication from managers and executives, it runs the risk of damaging their reputations and respect among staff. For example, I was once told by a V.P. to shut up during a management call. Many years earlier, another executive infamously said in a town hall meeting, “it’s time to cut the bacon,” in response to an economic downturn that would negatively impact the company’s workforce. Words matter, especially when navigating staff through potentially life-altering circumstances.
Excessive control: Steer clear of micromanaging your team. Be more flexible and less rigid. Encourage open dialogue with your staff, where they can question processes and innovate to improve them. While guidance and guidelines are important, avoid toxic hierarchical relationships that can manifest into “my way or the highway” thinking. Most of all, respect the wisdom and experience of your staff to get the job done right.
Unapproachability: If your staff are afraid to talk to you, then there is something inherently problematic with your management style that has poisoned the work environment. Invite staff to speak their truth and also show your vulnerability to create a healthier communication dynamic.
Lack of support and recognition: Teams break down when they are unsupported. While it’s crucial to provide staff with the right tools and education to do their jobs, so too is backing them up and showing compassion when it counts the most. Part of this picture is recognizing and rewarding staff for outstanding performance, as well as continually investing in them. Whenever possible, hire additional staff, especially if your team is continually overworked.
Ignoring the pink elephant: When managers turn a blind eye to big problems that negatively impact the team, it risks worsening and impeding the success of the business. These predicaments typically relate to resource issues that inhibit staff from performing their jobs effectively, thus adding to their discontentment.
Tips on becoming a better leader
1. Implement three keys
In this article, I explained the effectiveness of incorporating mindfulness, compassion, and happiness in the workplace to support staff resiliency. Successfully implementing these standards within your team and organization might mean cultivating these attributes within yourself by starting a contemplative routine of your own.
2. Say and do what you mean
Follow-through is so important, especially when you make commitments to your team. Dropping the ball from time to time happens, but when it occurs regularly, you run the risk of losing credibility and respect with your staff.
3. Be transparent
To the extent that you are not breaking confidentiality, be honest with your team about what’s really going on within the organization. Showing your vulnerability concerning uncomfortable changes within the company will help you connect with your team more and encourage them to open up to you too.
4. Support your greatest asset
Recognize that the most important asset is your staff. Without them, there would be no customers. This means continually supporting them and keeping them happy. In so doing, staff will thrive. You will likely see improvements in employee retention, engagement, and customer satisfaction.
5. Inspire freedom
Allow team members full autonomy to do their jobs. While coaching is necessary, it's okay to let staff make mistakes and learn from them. This kind of freedom also inspires more creativity to think outside the box and innovate and leads employees to experience more fulfilment in their roles at the end of the day.
6. Encourage diversity
Actively develop a diverse workforce to encourage a variety and range of ideas, as well as better solutions. In part, this means being mindful of and improving hiring practices.
Related article: The Best Myth - Why Bestness Is The Death of Excellence (Part 2)
7. Create opportunities
Give opportunities to your staff to work on passion projects relevant to the business to advance their knowledge and work experience. This will keep things exciting for them outside their core job responsibilities and will ultimately benefit the company.
8. Take risks that unite
Listen to the needs of your team. Advocate for them by raising their concerns to senior executives and giving them timely updates. Even if your team’s issues go unaddressed, your staff will know that you have their best interests at heart, and your efforts will unite the team.
9. Reward and recognize staff
This might seem obvious, but it doesn’t always happen. It’s important to recognize outstanding performance in a timely fashion and reward staff in both creative and conventional ways, such as team lunches, team-building events, paid days off, gift cards, bonuses, pay raises, and promotions.
10. Coach staff
This falls under the category of having regular one-to-ones and team meetings with your staff to assess progress, offer constructive feedback, and support them in whatever way possible to ensure that they are performing optimally and advancing in their career development. It also means coaching them in real time whenever the need arises.
11. Focus on communication
The way leaders communicate has a profound and lasting impact on staff. Fine-tune your communication skills to connect better with your team through kindness. This means adopting a mindful attitude where staff feel free to approach you about any concern or idea. Mindful communication involves active listening, reflection, and thoughtful speech. This is fundamental to the sustainability of a healthy work culture.
12. Change leadership
This might be controversial, but I think executives should be incentivized to relinquish their senior roles every few years to pave a path for employees within companies to advance to these in-demand positions. In so doing, it breaks the glass ceiling and gives staff with the right skills and expertise a chance to gain more experience and inject fresh ideas that could benefit the organization overall.
Recap on mindful leadership
Mindfulness is grounded in the awareness of the present moment, which is fundamental to being a mindful leader who:
Forms genuine connections with colleagues.
Communicates effectively and compassionately.
Continually works toward the collective success and wellness of their teams.
Prioritizes staff and keeps them happy.
Encourages trust and collaboration.
Inspires staff to learn and grow
Supports staff resiliency.
While anyone can have leadership qualities regardless of position, the influence of leaders who oversee people cannot be understated, as they have a profound impact on the viability of roles, teams, processes, projects, business targets, and final outcomes.
To learn more, book me for a talk and consultation today. To listen to The Stumbling Spirit Podcast, click here or find it on your favourite podcast streaming platform.
Read more from Fabio da Silva Fernandes
Fabio da Silva Fernandes, Resilience, Mindfulness, and Reiki Enthusiast
For most of his professional career, Fabio da Silva Fernandes worked in the tech industry as a customer support leader. About a decade ago, Fabio began his mindfulness journey, incorporating the practice of presence into his life on a regular basis. In his pursuit of personal wellness, Fabio attained several mindfulness certifications and, in 2018, delved into the world of energy work and started his Reiki training. Fabio is now a certified Reiki Master and Reiki Master Teacher. In 2021, Fabio left his career in fintech to launch his own wellness business called Resting Bell Wellness Inc., which is now branded under the name of his resilience podcast, The Stumbling Spirit.
