Resilience. We hear about it everywhere, it seems, and yet, what does it mean?
Resilience (noun)
1. the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress
- an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change Merriam-Webster
In my words, resilience is the ability to adapt and respond effectively to challenges, setbacks, or unexpected changes while maintaining focus, energy, and a sense of balance.
It’s not about avoiding stress or never stumbling (as I don’t believe that is reasonable at all). It’s about how quickly and constructively you can recover, learn, and move forward.
At work, resilience means staying calm, resourceful, and solution-focused when the unexpected happens, and being able to pivot with confidence while still supporting your team and leadership. But it is so much more than just “making do when things go sideways.” It’s actually about showing up, fully present and intentionally prepared, even when the future unfolds in ways we never anticipated.
When we think about resilience at work, the natural image is often: Do the task first, and when it inevitably goes off the rails, fix it the best you can, make it look pretty, and hope for the best. You know that familiar scene: plans unravel, systems glitch, someone forgets to forward that critical email, and suddenly it’s chaos. And because resilience sounds nice, it’s tempting to imagine your job is to swoop in afterward and patch things up.
But what if resilience isn’t just about figuring out how to fix things after they break? What if, instead, our job is to show up ready and willing to deal with futures we didn’t, and couldn’t, expect?
In 2019, we launched the first #AdminsRock conference in Toronto. It was a huge success, and the plan was to take the conference to different cities in 2021 (after we ran it one more time in 2020 to ensure that 2019 wasn’t just a fluke). I even had an #AdminsRock cruise on the agenda. It was my future, and I was pumped.
I had 2020 scheduled to launch the travelling conference to everyone. Everything was scheduled for April 2020 again in Toronto. Our run of show was set, catering was confirmed, presentations were queued, and travel arrangements were in place. And then, you know, what happened, and the world shut down in March 2020.
My first instinct was panic: “Fix this! Now!” But there was no quick fix. Instead, we pivoted. We initially just paused it all (thinking things would be back to normal quickly). Then we delayed again. The event went ahead online in October. It wasn’t at all what we planned, but it worked. We had energy and connection (and we started those great #AdminsRock SWAG boxes for all attendees).
That taught me that resilience isn’t about knowing every possible scenario in advance; it’s about being prepared for the unexpected. It’s about staying calm, adaptive, and mentally present enough to pivot. The traveling conference and cruise were scrapped, and the event is now entirely online and will remain so.
I didn’t know what to expect; I still don’t know what to expect. We can adjust if we need to.
Research backs this up. The American Psychological Association describes resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress.” It’s not about avoiding challenges or having perfect backup plans—it’s about how we meet them.
The Harvard Business Review has also reported that resilient employees tend to have approximately 50% lower turnover rates, and organizations that invest in resilience training experience measurable gains in both job performance and employee well-being.
In other words, resilience pays off; not just personally, but organizationally too.
If resilience is showing up for the unexpected, what does that mean for how we define our work?
- Mindset over checklist: Checklists are helpful, and I’m not suggesting you throw them away, but flexibility and curiosity are just as necessary.
- Transparent communication: Saying, “We don’t have all the answers yet” builds trust, not doubt.
- Learning orientation: Each setback isn’t a failure; it’s a data point for future improvement.
As an office professional, you’re often the nerve center of the office. You are smoothing today’s tasks, anticipating tomorrow’s deadlines, and bringing structure to ambiguity. When you bring resilient presence, you’re doing more than firefighting. You’re anchoring calm, inspiring confidence, and helping your team adapt to whatever comes next.
Instead of saying, “We’ll fix it later,” you’re saying: “We’re ready for what’s next, even if we didn’t expect it.” That mindset transforms the office environment from reactive to resourceful.
Here are a few simple ways to strengthen resilience day to day:
- Daily reset: Begin your day with a quick mental check-in. Ask: “What might go sideways today, and how can I meet it with grace?“
- Scenario play: In meetings, encourage conversations like, “If X doesn’t happen, what could we do instead?” You’ll surface hidden options.
- Reflection habit: After challenges, jot down what worked about your response, not just what went wrong. Over time, these reflections build confidence and resilience, akin to “muscle memory.”
Resilience, especially in our roles, is so much more than just “making do when things go sideways.” It’s about showing up, fully present and intentionally prepared, even when the future unfolds in ways we never anticipated.
Your role isn’t to do the work and then scramble when things break. Your role is to show up ready to dance with whatever comes your way; pivoting, adapting, and leading with grace.
That’s what makes you not just resilient, but indispensable.