Rethinking Resilience: Navigating the Pitfalls and Pursuing Effective Solutions

Sometimes, our desire to achieve something is so intense that we overlook the fact that the solutions we seek may not be effective. No matter how much anti-aging cream someone uses, their face will inevitably show signs of aging. In the business world, resilience training is one area where this resolute pursuit is evident. The concept of a resilience deficit has gained popularity since the turn of the millennium. Resilience, which refers to our ability to bounce back and rejuvenate in adversity, holds a special place in our imagination. However, there is a growing consensus that true resilience is scarce. 

Resilience Training 

In the workplace, with rising levels of burnout and a workforce that some perceive as less capable of handling job pressures compared to previous generations, many leaders resort to resilience training. This has led to a proliferation of well-being organisations offering such programs. 



However, during my two-year journey of researching resilience for a book, I was struck by the number of individuals who expressed disappointment with the resilience courses they attended. They were not alone. A hidden truth surrounds these courses: they often fail to deliver the desired outcomes. Several studies analysing the effectiveness of these interventions have forced even their advocates to admit that they fall short of their intended goals. A doctor at a busy public hospital in North London candidly told me, "If you mention resilience around here, you'll get a negative response." His team had been offered resilience training as a coping mechanism instead of the additional resources they truly needed, and they saw through the facade. 

Despite these shortcomings, the demand for resilience courses rises from office-based employers, schools, and the military. Much of the training available today originates from the "Resilience Orthodoxy" and is based on the work of psychologist and bestselling author Martin Seligman. 

In the early 2000s, when developing a school resilience program, Seligman caught U.S. Army leaders' attention. Impressed by his books, they sought his advice on implementing a similar program for the Army to address the high rates of addiction, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide among retired service members. It is estimated that the implementation of Seligman's program has cost over $500 million. If your workplace has embraced resilience training, the programs are likely based on Seligman's models originally designed for schools or the armed forces. 

The only problem is that these programs may not be as effective as intended. A review of published results prompted commentators in the American Psychological Association journal to state that the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, for instance, is "not a panacea" and cannot solve deep-rooted issues within the Army, such as low base rate behavioural problems or addiction.