If you were given the task of melting an ice cube, what would be the most effective way to go about it? There are two general options: change the ice cube or change the environment. As many of us know, moving ice to a warmer environment does the trick quickly and simply. Trying to melt ice while it’s still in the freezer, however, does next to nothing.
Similar to melting an ice cube, one of the most effective ways to create large-scale, sustainable change is by altering the company environment. At CSW, we believe that organizations have the power and responsibility to promote a culture of resiliency. Individual staff can adopt trauma-informed and resilience-building practices, but without changing the environment or organizational culture, these individual changes are like trying to melt ice while it is still in the freezer.
In the final installation of our Trauma & Resilience Quick Guides, Cultivating a Culture of Resiliency in Organizations, we break down six guiding principles, developed by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and provide practical examples of each of these principles to empower individuals and organizations to be agents of change.
- Safety
- Trustworthiness and Transparency
- Peer Support
- Collaboration and Mutuality
- Empowerment, Voice, and Choice
- Cultural Humility and Responsiveness
Adopting these principles at the organizational level will help to foster an environment where employees and clients feel safe, valued, respected, where all can build their resilience and hopefully thrive.
Comments are closed.