Issue 04 / Exploring Joy, Reimagining Resilience

Rethinking Resilience At Work

A Qualitative Research Study

8 min reading time

8 min read

In recent years, the concept of resilience has become a buzzword in the workplace.

Companies are ramping up investments in programs and resources to help their employees develop resilience, hoping to mitigate burnout and improve employee retention. Yet our most celebrated acts of resilience - gritting our teeth to perform under stress - rely on behaviors that put our human needs last and erode our wellbeing. In the relentless pursuit of resilience, are we compromising our wellbeing?

It's a sobering question, made more urgent by a 2023 Gallup report revealing that a mere 32% of U.S. workers feel engaged at their workplaces. With this alarming trend of disengagement, there is a pressing need to re-evaluate and re-imagine resilience at the workplace.

We seek to turn the spotlight onto this dilemma, with the aim to illuminate a more sustainable path forward.

What if we found ways to bring joy into work, rather than separate it? What if our workplaces helped us navigate what healthy collaboration, vulnerability, and risk-taking might actually look like - rather than modeling unhealthy competition and isolation?

Join us on this exploratory journey. Together, let's disrupt conventional wisdom, challenge the status quo, and forge a path towards a more fulfilling future of work.

The Research

In January and February 2023 we conducted a study to examine the behaviors that erode our wellbeing and explore the policies, habits and rituals that could contribute to a more sustainable, joyful resilience at work.

We spoke with 225 full-time, salaried workers to gain an understanding of how they're feeling about their work - what gives them energy, what drains it - and what a more joyful future of work might look like. A third of the respondents work in office settings, a third work fully remote and a third are hybrid where they work at a blend of in-office and remote. The range of respondents reflects a breadth of workplace experiences.

225

Full-time
salaried workers

75

In-person

75

Fully remote

75

Hybrid

Who they were:

  1. Researchers,Project Managers,Software Developers,Designers,Engineers,Paralegals,Physicians,Interior Designers,

We also took a look at ourselves - turning the microscope on our own behaviors and practices at Zeus Jones. Through an internal survey we aimed to get a sense of where we are living up to our ambitions to cultivate a more sustainable, joyful resilience at work and where we are not.

Scroll down to experience what we learned from this research. At the end, you'll be able to  download the full summary of our findings.

We Heard:

Trust-starved employees face an uphill battle.

When employees feel trusted to make their own decisions about how and where they work, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and pride. While trust from leadership to act autonomously is crucial - isolation or feeling siloed can be a significant source of stress. Balancing autonomy and collectivity is key. When people feel supported by their team, they are more likely to be confident in their abilities to overcome challenges.

I felt energized and inspired recently when our company was pursuing training alternatives and I was allowed to investigate and pursue offerings of my own choosing and then bring back my findings to leadership and the team for further discussion.

My boss gave me the chance to set my own calendar and complete my work how I wanted. As long as the work was done well and on time, she was happy.

The ability not to be micromanaged and make decisions somewhat on my own. To also have the freedom to have a hybrid work schedule.

Working on projects with an intense deadline but having a team that is largely unavailable or unresponsive. You feel like you're talking to yourself.

I felt energized and inspired recently when our company was pursuing training alternatives and I was allowed to investigate and pursue offerings of my own choosing and then bring back my findings to leadership and the team for further discussion.

My boss gave me the chance to set my own calendar and complete my work how I wanted. As long as the work was done well and on time, she was happy.

The ability not to be micromanaged and make decisions somewhat on my own. To also have the freedom to have a hybrid work schedule.

Working on projects with an intense deadline but having a team that is largely unavailable or unresponsive. You feel like you're talking to yourself.

The most stressful part of my week is working by myself most of the time. It's lonely. Nobody to bounce ideas off. Everyone is busy. Nobody else does what I do.

I feel most optimistic when I experience “we're all in this together” moments with my teams... It allows me to pivot from feeling like the weight of a project phase is solely on my shoulders to remembering that we work in teams for a reason.

Having heads-down solo time to work, think, and tinker... alongside occasional moments to share, talk, and celebrate. When these two things feel somewhat balanced I find a lot of joy in my days.

The unknowns are less daunting when you have people you trust available to lean on in difficult or trying times. I feel less alone and more confident in being able to overcome and see possibilities vs. feeling like it's all on you.

The most stressful part of my week is working by myself most of the time. It's lonely. Nobody to bounce ideas off. Everyone is busy. Nobody else does what I do.

I feel most optimistic when I experience “we're all in this together” moments with my teams... It allows me to pivot from feeling like the weight of a project phase is solely on my shoulders to remembering that we work in teams for a reason.

Having heads-down solo time to work, think, and tinker... alongside occasional moments to share, talk, and celebrate. When these two things feel somewhat balanced I find a lot of joy in my days.

The unknowns are less daunting when you have people you trust available to lean on in difficult or trying times. I feel less alone and more confident in being able to overcome and see possibilities vs. feeling like it's all on you.

We Heard:

Meaningful Collaboration emerges from an environment that values shared honesty and vulnerability.

When given the time and space to work collaboratively with a team, people are more likely to engage in deep thinking and meaningful discussions that lead to new insights and approaches. We want to collaborate with others - but these moments can create additional stress and anxiety when there's a lack of support or pressure to be perfect. The best collaboration comes from moments of vulnerability and radical honesty.

I get energized when I come up with an idea for execution, elicit help from others and they do their part to make it come to fruition.

Having that time and space allows you to dig in deep, to discuss different perspectives and to pull together new insights... But that's difficult to achieve if people are pulled in too many directions and have too many initiatives competing for their attention.

Coworkers who are passionate about what they do inspire me to meet their enthusiasm. My current team is like this and helps me be better at my role. In addition, it makes work more enjoyable.

One of the most stressful parts of my week is meeting with specific coworkers who I always feel like have high expectations and aren't approachable.

I get energized when I come up with an idea for execution, elicit help from others and they do their part to make it come to fruition.

Having that time and space allows you to dig in deep, to discuss different perspectives and to pull together new insights... But that's difficult to achieve if people are pulled in too many directions and have too many initiatives competing for their attention.

Coworkers who are passionate about what they do inspire me to meet their enthusiasm. My current team is like this and helps me be better at my role. In addition, it makes work more enjoyable.

One of the most stressful parts of my week is meeting with specific coworkers who I always feel like have high expectations and aren't approachable.

What makes me feel defeated is lack of support from our leaders and not having our team be trusted. Expecting to give a hundred percent when you feel like the leaders are not keeping your best interests in mind.

When I realize that I'm not the only one on the team who doesn't know what the heck is going on. This makes me optimistic in that a) I'm not the only one not getting it, and b) I know we'll all work together to figure it out and it will be ok

That moment where you've been plugging away on a thing and then you turn to a coworker and show it to them... That then turns into a conversation where you feel recognized and affirmed and also inspired because they throw out some other ideas or help you think about it in a slightly different way. I love those moments.

I feel optimistic when people are open, direct and comfortable talking about potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses, because it gives me confidence that we can work through it and support each other.

What makes me feel defeated is lack of support from our leaders and not having our team be trusted. Expecting to give a hundred percent when you feel like the leaders are not keeping your best interests in mind.

When I realize that I'm not the only one on the team who doesn't know what the heck is going on. This makes me optimistic in that a) I'm not the only one not getting it, and b) I know we'll all work together to figure it out and it will be ok

That moment where you've been plugging away on a thing and then you turn to a coworker and show it to them... That then turns into a conversation where you feel recognized and affirmed and also inspired because they throw out some other ideas or help you think about it in a slightly different way. I love those moments.

I feel optimistic when people are open, direct and comfortable talking about potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses, because it gives me confidence that we can work through it and support each other.

We Heard:

Play as a tool is undervalued and often seen as separate from the work itself.

Today, our notions of play are limited and often disconnected from the actual nature of work. Many organizations don't currently foster the necessary conditions for play - not enough time, not enough support, not enough models. When there's room to play and experiment within workflows, it's possible to solve complex and challenging problems.

I feel drained by days of back to back meetings that aren't about discovering anything or having a conversation but instead are just about logistics and keeping tabs on things... when those moments pile up it doesn't feel like it moves the work or any of us as individuals forward.

Constantly switching between the different headspaces necessary for the different projects and different tasks can be stressful. Sometimes I'm worried I'll forget about something important or miss something I ought not to.

I would absolutely love prioritizing play - but it's hard to figure out how to do so. I think that having events that we can optionally attend as an organization would be really nice... journaling, group, meditating, yoga, or Zumba, or a fun game to play and that's facilitated by someone else.

If my employer chose to prioritize joy and playful exploration, that ideal experience for me would be to get more naps and take more breaks and work on my own time.

I feel drained by days of back to back meetings that aren't about discovering anything or having a conversation but instead are just about logistics and keeping tabs on things... when those moments pile up it doesn't feel like it moves the work or any of us as individuals forward.

Constantly switching between the different headspaces necessary for the different projects and different tasks can be stressful. Sometimes I'm worried I'll forget about something important or miss something I ought not to.

I would absolutely love prioritizing play - but it's hard to figure out how to do so. I think that having events that we can optionally attend as an organization would be really nice... journaling, group, meditating, yoga, or Zumba, or a fun game to play and that's facilitated by someone else.

If my employer chose to prioritize joy and playful exploration, that ideal experience for me would be to get more naps and take more breaks and work on my own time.

An ideal experience would involve having a bunch of indoor games that people can play when they need to take a break from work. I would definitely love to play table tennis or chess or have some books that I can read and take my mind off work.

I wish there were group play times—times when I can interact with my coworkers with a non-work task. This task could be something that helps open up our minds to innovation, but isn't directly related to a work task... I think it would infuse creativity into my team and make us feel less like hamsters on wheels.

I would spend more time playing with data, more time on whiteboards with close collaborators, more permission to do weird and wacky projects. This would make the time spent at work a lot more enjoyable and fun I think.

My ideal experience would look like forced time to play mid-way after working on a brief. Longer timelines to allow that. Field trips related to each brief.

Collaborations with external experts/contributors who join us as creative thinkers/problem solvers alongside us (subject matter experts/creators/artists).

An ideal experience would involve having a bunch of indoor games that people can play when they need to take a break from work. I would definitely love to play table tennis or chess or have some books that I can read and take my mind off work.

I wish there were group play times—times when I can interact with my coworkers with a non-work task. This task could be something that helps open up our minds to innovation, but isn't directly related to a work task... I think it would infuse creativity into my team and make us feel less like hamsters on wheels.

I would spend more time playing with data, more time on whiteboards with close collaborators, more permission to do weird and wacky projects. This would make the time spent at work a lot more enjoyable and fun I think.

My ideal experience would look like forced time to play mid-way after working on a brief. Longer timelines to allow that. Field trips related to each brief.

Collaborations with external experts/contributors who join us as creative thinkers/problem solvers alongside us (subject matter experts/creators/artists).

We Heard:

The monotony of remote work underscores the need for novel experiences.

Working from home limits the range of experiences that people have access to on a daily basis. There is also a tension between the expectation to be constantly connected online and an ability to engage with the world around us. People want opportunities for both solo and shared experiences that expose them to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of thinking.

Since I work from home, I have to sit at my desk all day. Sometimes I go hours without really doing anything.

I work from home, I'm very isolated and I'm home alone all day.

I like activities like work travel - it gives you new experiences and you get to be with people.

One thing that I've been missing in the remote environment is kinda like the cooler talk, the lunchroom talk with coworkers.

I really like the time to connect with coworkers, not just on our projects, but also just personally asking questions and connecting that way.

Our work relies on us being very online, and in my real life, I’m trying to be less online.

Since I work from home, I have to sit at my desk all day. Sometimes I go hours without really doing anything.

I work from home, I'm very isolated and I'm home alone all day.

I like activities like work travel - it gives you new experiences and you get to be with people.

One thing that I've been missing in the remote environment is kinda like the cooler talk, the lunchroom talk with coworkers.

I really like the time to connect with coworkers, not just on our projects, but also just personally asking questions and connecting that way.

Our work relies on us being very online, and in my real life, I’m trying to be less online.

It's a hard balance feeling like I'm always on a device, when I want to be experiencing the world around me in a more natural manner.

I would like to have more cultural tours - leaving my house and exploring the world for the benefit of finding meaning linked to my projects ... ability to interact with the world at large vs just keynote and my computer.

I would like more dedicated days to prioritize play/being offline and reporting back what we learn, IRL workshops and client engagements that are offline and in fun environments, Less distractions, more physical things, more dreaming.

I think we would need some loose structures that create space to actually play, tinker, and share.

More time to learn new tools or try things out... not in service of a specific task/deadline at hand. This would actually open us up to more novel ways of working because we wouldn't have to reach for the tools and methods that we already know and are comfortable with.

It's a hard balance feeling like I'm always on a device, when I want to be experiencing the world around me in a more natural manner.

I would like to have more cultural tours - leaving my house and exploring the world for the benefit of finding meaning linked to my projects ... ability to interact with the world at large vs just keynote and my computer.

I would like more dedicated days to prioritize play/being offline and reporting back what we learn, IRL workshops and client engagements that are offline and in fun environments, Less distractions, more physical things, more dreaming.

I think we would need some loose structures that create space to actually play, tinker, and share.

More time to learn new tools or try things out... not in service of a specific task/deadline at hand. This would actually open us up to more novel ways of working because we wouldn't have to reach for the tools and methods that we already know and are comfortable with.

There are many ways to embody a healthy, sustainable resilience at work:

Maybe one day it's maximizing our autonomy to explore, maybe another it's engaging in playful collaboration. But the expectation of sacrificing our joy for productivity still holds us back, and the models for a healthier relationship with work are still very much in formation. The responses of this survey show a need to reconceptualize how trust, psychological safety, play, and novelty become part of the work we do, not just sit alongside it.

Wemoveforwardbyexpandingwhatweseeasproductive.

This means understanding that some activities that may seem unproductive in terms of output are actually critical for unlocking our full productive energy. The best work happens when people feel trusted, psychologically safe, able to play, and are encouraged to explore. And when people feel empowered to do their best work in an environment that acknowledges these realities, they're less likely to be drained by overcoming obstacles along the way.

Taken together, this research shows four key ways to build a workplace that reconciles productivity with a more sustainable resilience.

via Giphy
via Giphy

1

Igniteculturesoftrust

When employees are granted autonomy, they are empowered to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Collaboration, on the other hand, brings individuals together to pool their knowledge, perspectives, and talents. A culture of trust that supports both individual creativity and cross-team collaboration ignites ownership and can enhance innovation across the organization.

via Giphy

2

EmbraceRadicalHonesty

Genuine collaboration flourishes when individuals embrace vulnerability and practice radical honesty. But it also requires an organizational foundation of psychological safety. When employees feel safe enough to take on uncertain challenges and honestly express their thoughts, their potential for growth and innovation is unlocked. Without feeling safe to do so, someone may never voice their breakthrough idea.

via Giphy

3

EmpowerPlayasacatalyst

Play encourages divergent thinking and imaginative exploration, allowing individuals to break free from conventional patterns and generate fresh ideas. But to unlock play as an engine for creativity productivity we can't be limited to ping pong tables and employer-sponsored Zumba classes. Moving away from play as something that is seen as separate from work to integrating playfulness into workflows will allow organizations to realize the potential of play as a tool for enhancing problem-solving skills and unlocking innovation.

via Giphy

4

PrioritizeNovelExperiences

People working from home crave a balance between online connectivity and real-world experiences to fuel creativity. Taking time to experience new environments, cultures, art forms, or even leisure activities can inspire unconventional thinking and imagination when solving work problems. Promoting the productive value of breaking out of our routines might seem counterintuitive, but breaking feelings of isolation and the malaise of sameness day after day leads to new perspectives and a work culture that innovates rather than plods along.

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