Vicki Anderson

Resilience needs to be the word of the day. With so much change going on these days, you have to be like a palm tree and be able to flex in the wind without breaking. Keeping a positive outlook helps you focus on what you can do, not on what you can’t do.

People who have resilience build support systems around them to be able to handle difficult situations. They are willing to ask for help and have friends to call on in time of need. They develop relationships with others not for commiseration, but for support and ideas.

People who have resilience are flexible. In today’s world there are a lot more grays than black-and-whites. The more you see situations as “either/or” you become more frustrated and are less likely to be able to bounce back when things change. There are many ways to get things done. That means flexibility is a valuable trait for employees who have to maintain productivity in times of change.

Resilience may be one of the best survival skills of all to ensure you will be around for tomorrow.

Do you ever think of something you “should” learn but you never really get around to doing it? Isn’t it easy to think things are impossible when it’s really just uncomfortable?

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard in the last few months that someone would like to know more about social networking because they just don’t understand it. Is that you? It’s me! Well, I have tried to stick my toes into the water little by little with the help of my daughter and a few friends, but I’m not convinced I do it very well. So, I have attended a couple webinars recently and I signed up for a comprehensive, hands-on social networking course offered by the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce. Hopefully, I might find I’m doing some things right as well as learning what else I should do.

It is so hard to keep up with the latest as the world is changing so fast. Therefore, it’s important to use the tools we have efficiently. I don’t have time to do everything, so I have to figure out what will give me the most results for the least effort.

Whatever it is you need to learn, get started right away. You don’t want to be one of those “old people” who don’t understand what this world is coming to. Be part of the change now and it will be easier down the road.

With the reconstruction of our economy, I think an important question to ask is, “How much do we want or need?” This is in contrast to the question of “how extravagantly do we want to live?”

We have been through an era of bigger is better, but is that always the case? Some people have started small businesses after being laid off and are finding themselves happier. Many people have also downsized their homes, lifestyle, and cars in response to loss of income or retirement savings. While this has been painful, I have heard several people recently talking about making the changes permanent. Some business people have decided to keep their businesses smaller and easier to manage. Families are eating in more and finding ways to entertain at home. I heard a news story this morning about a lady who had started shopping at Walmart out of necessity, but has found that she likes shopping there because of the bargains. She said she didn’t think she would go back to the big brand stores.

It seems we might see more of a moderate approach to lifestyle yet I don’t think people are going to give up their upscale desires. I just think they will act on them less often. What are you seeing?

I just returned home from seeing Wicked and I am haunted by the last song between Glinda (the Good Witch) and Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). These two unlikely friends since school years sing, “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” It is a simple, but profound thought. Who do you know that has made you a better person? And more importantly, who can say that of you?

As leaders, we have a distinct privilege of being a person who mentors and teaches. We can be someone who builds or someone who tears down confidence, competence, and self-esteem. As parents, friends, and spouses, we also have the same opportunity.

We owe our lives and who we are to those around us who took us under their wing, who taught us when we needed to learn, who let us fail yet caught us before we fell too far, and gave us their love and admiration so we could become someone to do it for others.

I stand here today because of my family, my teachers, my husband, my children, my former bosses, my direct reports, my clients, and my friends. Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

My brother sent me an article written several years ago about the need for an evolving language within an organization when it is in the midst of change. I found it relevant for today and thought how hard it is for organizations to change their language. Language is all about what’s acceptable and what’s not. It’s how we relate to each other. When in times of change, we try to explain the new in terms of the old and come up short. The need for keeping an open mind to the language of the future is what keeps you on the cutting edge. But it is also hard.

As leaders, it is especially important to be open-minded to listen for the change in language that comes with changing customer needs, worker needs, and business needs. We must be able to help those we lead find a safe way to bring up questions that have never before been asked. This is difficult in times of minor change, but almost insurmountable in times of great change. It should not be an affront to our egos not to know the answers. It should give us pause to wonder what else we should ask.