Page 143 - The Resilient Organization

130 Part Three: Step 2. Building Resilience into the Organization

their work, and the responsibilities they may have acquired since becoming
Jampions. A typical statement was one that suggested the Jampions’ willing-
ness to experiment on new ideas more than before and see them in a broader
context or not to dismiss ideas offhand based on preconceived notions.
Many noted that they now approached their own work differently—daring
to question standard approaches and consider alternative work strategies.
According to one Jampion, the physical experience gave him new courage—
no amount of abstract thinking would have accomplished the same.
Jampions also frequently discussed their pioneering role in the
Resilience Clinics. The discussion typically touched on the question, “How
do I behave as a Jampion role model to others?” Many people felt they were
part of a cause that they had chosen to join because it felt important to
them and gave meaning to their everyday work. They sought opportunities
for resilience-enhancing behaviors, such as the application of the experi-
mental approach in their work tasks or a conversation with a peer about
how they would “know if the company had become resilient.” These and
other activities led to a number of outcomes 6 to 12 months later; for exam-
ple, some of the Jampions founded a spinoff independent company whose
purpose was to find ways to enhance employee work-life balance in large
corporations. Also, a community program that started as part of one of the
experimental initiatives was later recognized by the CEO in the corporate
social responsibility report as an important example of employee activism.
A few other business-related ventures followed.
Finally, the Jampions took what they learned and applied it in other
work. For example, another, unrelated, project dealing with the role of
women in the company made use of the management innovation and experi-
mentation tools developed in the project to advance the women’s cause
accordingly. Also, a management innovation idea (a prediction market for
holiday gift cards) emerged outside the jams as one manager was exposed
to the approach and sought to develop an early management innovation of
his own. This initiative continues to evolve in the company.

PRACTICING CHANGE

The capacity for resilience is proposed here as something that is built
through rehearsal, or the practice, of change. Such an activity reservoir is