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Personal Resilience
Personal resilience refers to an individual’s ability to
cope with, adapt to, and recover from the challenges and
adversities they encounter in their life. This may involve
stress management skills, a positive attitude, the ability to
problem solve and make decisions, and a strong support
network.

The organization can contribute to personal resilience
by adopting a culture that respects the employee (work-
family balance, adapted work schedule, adequate salary,
benefits programs, etc.) and a safe work environment,
both physical and psychological level. Healthy and happy
employees can focus better on their work. This has
a direct impact on quality, customer satisfaction, and
profitability.

Resilient employees are therefore essential for a resilient
organization, as they are the ones who implement the
strategies in order to achieve the objectives of the
organization, who adapt the way they work in the face of
change, and who continue to function effectively in times
of crisis, stress or disturbance.

From Business Continuity to Resilience
For many, the concepts of resilience are not yet clear.
Resilience is often seen as an optional expense to insure
against disruption.
More simply, we can see resilience as a kind of evolution
of business continuity. Thus, business continuity concerns
the ability of an organization to maintain its essential
operations during and after a disruption. This involves
having plans and systems in place to manage crises and
recover quickly. With business continuity, organizations
can significantly reduce the costs associated with
business interruptions, such as lost revenue, contractual
penalties, and loss of customer trust.

Resilience, on the other hand, goes beyond simply
recovering from a disruption. It concerns an
organization’s ability to adapt and thrive in the face
of change and uncertainty. This involves having a
flexible culture, systems, and processes that allow
the organization to evolve. By investing in resilience,
organizations can not only survive challenges but also
seize new opportunities and innovate.

The Rise of the Chief Resilience Officer
But who is the “Orchestra conductor” who can set up
and maintain the resilience of an organization?

In recent years, a new position has emerged in
organizations; the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO). The
title is used as part of the “100 Resilient Cities” initiative,
sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation.

This position covers aspects of risk, security, continuity,
emergency measures, supply chain, crisis management,

26 Return to TOC True North RESILIENCE magazine - Fall 2023