Bouncing back is a critical competency for everyone in business and it is especially important to anyone in a leadership role. A leader’s primary goal is to work with others in achieving a set of targets or goals that will, when achieved, make the business more successful.
Bouncing back is defined as starting to be successful again after a difficult and challenging experience, a presumed failure, illness or loss of self-confidence. Bouncing back can be called many other things including recovering, returning, coming back, healing, resilience, rebuilding or restoring.
People may have had an event in their lives that has given them the opportunity to bounce back. It may have been being let go from a job, ending a marriage, loosing a loved one or loosing hope for a dream.
While thinking about a set back, people can make note of all of the thoughts that came to mind as they were going through it. Some people may choose at this point to start writing in a journal or typing into a tablet.
When people are clear about their thoughts, they might move to their feelings next. They might find feeling of sadness, frustration, despair or betrayal as they reflect on the feelings from the experience. Knowing their feelings will help them start to process them a healthy way. Feelings support the resilience process when they are given the opportunity to have their life cycle.
Bouncing back requires focus, action and determination. With this in mind, a call to action is to look for one area in life where the challenges impact performance or participation. People typically know this area when they identify that their thoughts, feelings and inner dialogue are incongruent and in conflict with their values, principles and morals. Begin the work to realign these three areas of life in whatever ways work best. Working with a qualified and experienced coach is critical to the successful bounce back.
Now the process to bouncing back is ready to start. By taking one action each day on one of the three areas in just 7 days, people will begin to think differently about the challenge, feel new emotions about the set back and create a new inner dialogue that supports their bouncing back experience.
Bouncing back will build trust and respect with others in life-both personal and professional. It will model for others how to be resilient and to be hopeful for a more supportive, successful and serene future.
The bouncing back story is a great way to connect with others. Those who can articulate their experience with being knocked down and getting back up with intention, deep reflections and feelings are more likely to connect with others and more importantly support them in their bounce back process. Bouncing back may be a pay it forward opportunity for those who have a compelling story to share with others looking for hope, inspiration and reassurance.