Ever feel like your team is constantly in “crisis mode”?
Scrambling to meet deadlines, pushing through obstacles, and burning the midnight oil?
While grit can get you over a bump in the road, it’s not a recipe for long-term success.
Grit alone is like trying to climb Mount Everest in flip-flops. Sure, with enough determination, you might make it to base camp.
But if you want to reach the summit – you’d better be prepared for the long haul.
That’s where resilience comes in. Resilience is the backpack full of supplies to help you navigate unpredictable weather, treacherous terrain, and the sheer physical demands of high altitude.
In this article, I’m going to show you how to infuse your teams with long-term resilience.
Why Grit Is Not Enough
Grit might get you a quick win, but it’s a terrible foundation for a high-performing team.
Short-term hustle leads to short-term thinking. Short-term thinking leads to short-term solutions.
Not to mention – “pushing through” challenges takes a burst of energy, but those bursts add up. Eventually, the well runs dry.
As a Product Leader, you need to build teams that can handle a marathon, not just a few sprints.
Focus on long-term resilience, and you will create teams built to last.
A Personal Story of Grit Gone Wrong
At Yahoo, I worked on a high-profile initiative called Project Panama. Panama was Yahoo’s effort to close the wide gap with Google in the race for advertising dollars.
It was the company’s second attempt. The deadlines were borderline absurd, and we were constantly told to “dig deep” and “keep pushing” towards the next milestone (which was quickly followed with yet another milestone). A number of people – myself included – departed within a year. The project was plagued with high churn rates.
Project Panama ended up launching with muted impact. The executives at Yahoo relied too much on grit to achieve a short-term launch, at the cost of long-term success.
How To Infuse Teams With Resilience
Here are 5 ways to foster resilience in your teams.
Remember – these aren’t quick fixes; it’s about preparing your team to handle significant, long-term objectives with grace and endurance.
Champion the Noble Mission
People are motivated by purpose.
Help your team understand the bigger picture – the positive impact your product has on the world. This higher purpose fuels their resilience and gives them a reason to keep going.
How to Get Started
Define your noble mission. At your next team meeting, remind everyone of this mission to reignite their passion and commitment.
Every product has a noble mission. Just ask yourself “Who does my product benefit?”. If your product is B2B, just ask “Who does my customer’s product benefit?”.
When I worked on Facebook Ads, my noble mission was to keep the Internet free by making online advertising a viable revenue source.
Promote Psychological Safety
Create a space where vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. Let your team know it’s ok to admit when they’re struggling.
Google’s famous research study, Project Aristotle, discovered psychological safety is the top predictor of successful teams.
How to Get Started
Share one of your own personal struggles with your team to show vulnerability. This sets the stage for others to do the same.
I recently shared at a Product meetup that I struggle with Imposter Syndrome, which encouraged others to open up about similar struggles.
Encourage Mentorship
A change in perspective can make a mountain look like a molehill.
Mentorship can provide this change in perspective. It can make insurmountable problems feel surmountable.
It works whether you are a mentor or a mentee. Mentees are encouraged when mentors share their experiences overcoming challenges. And mentors are reminded of their own resilience.
How to Get Started
Encourage team members to become mentors or mentees, or ideally, both.
If there are no internal opportunities, have your team explore external mentorship programs like ADPList.org.
Model Sustainability
Grit requires bursts of energy. When the well runs dry, you’re sunk.
Long-term resilience is about managing your energy.
Managing your energy is about working at a sustainable pace.
How to Get Started
Lead by example. Your team is watching. Your team will follow your example.
Set aside one day a week (or every other week if you must). Focus exclusively on deep work. No meetings. Tell your team.
Start as small as you want to, but do it. The point is to start somewhere.
Build Community
Teams that struggle together, stay together.
Shared experiences and mutual support help teams withstand long-term challenges.
Just saying “we’re in this together” is not enough. Community needs to be felt, viscerally.
How to Get Started
Plan a team event solely focused on team building and fun. Then make it a regular thing.
One of the teams I ran at Google had over 70 members spread out across the globe. Yet every year, without fail, we got together for an event. It’s possible, if you make community a priority.
Take Action Today
When you’re tackling a short-term problem, grit can see you through to the end.
When you’re tackling a long-term mission, you need resilience.
Team resilience isn’t built overnight. It’s a continuous process.
Pick one of the strategies in this article, and get started.
