INSIGHTS | CORENTUS FIRST FRIDAY with a THOUGHT LEADER SERIES

Renee Rookwood Unlocking Team Resilience

Dr. Renee Rookwood discusses the Six Critical Factors for Building Resilient Teams. This session dives into the core elements that create a thriving team culture, including the power of safe communication, high-quality relationships, social support, and more.

For you from Renee & Corentus

Dr. Renee Rookwood is a renowned expert in team dynamics, specializing in resilience, organizational behavior, and communication. With an EdD in Human and Organizational Learning from George Washington University, her work has helped companies and leaders create supportive environments where teams not only survive but thrive under pressure. She is a lifetime learner who is growth-focused. Bring empathy and responsibility to any team seeking multi-disciplinary voices at the table to solve challenging, complex problems. Renee strives for collaboration, a sense of community, nerdy fun, and meaningful work with respect and authenticity. Bridging communications between teams, stakeholders, partners, and other departments to ensure seamless executions and ongoing support.

“Reflexive Thematic Analysis Process” (1:19)
In this First Friday clip, Dr Renee Rookwood discusses reflexive thematic analysis (Big Q qualitative), a more interpretive approach to data analysis that emphasizes meaningful engagement and crafting themes

First Friday with Thought Leader — Dr. Renee Rookwood
“Unlocking Team Resilience” (40:07)

KEY INSIGHTS | from our First Friday with a Thought Leader Event
Dr. Renee Rookwood “Unlocking Team Resilience”

  • Team Resilience as a Collective Phenomenon
    Contrary to popular belief, team resilience is not simply a collection of resilient individuals. It emerges from the interactions, support systems, and shared experiences of the team members. 

  • The Importance of Community
    Building a close-knit community within a team serves as a vital resource during challenging times. This sense of community fosters trust, open communication, and a shared commitment to overcoming obstacles.

  • Contextual Influences
    Team resilience is not developed in a vacuum. The broader organizational context, including leadership styles, support systems, and external pressures, can significantly impact a team’s ability to navigate adversity.

  • The FLEX Framework
    Dr. Rookwood proposes a practical framework to cultivate team resilience, focusing on:

    • Focus: Establishing a clear purpose and vision for the team.

    • Learning: Investing in team building and developing collaborative skills.

    • Enhance: Strengthening organizational systems and processes to support team collaboration.

    • eXperiment: Continuously iterating and refining the team's approach through research and data-driven insights.

  • Six Key Factors Contributing to Team Resilience:

  1. Safe Communication: Open and honest dialogue allows for effective problem-solving and decision-making, especially during stressful periods.

  2. Team Potency: The collective belief in the team’s ability to overcome challenges and achieve success. As Dr. Rookwood explains, "team potency is that general belief that if a team feels they have the skills and mindsets and challenges before them that they can, they can succeed no matter what the adversity is that’s before them."

  3. High-Quality Relationships: Strong, positive connections built on trust and respect enable effective collaboration and provide support during difficult times.

  4. Social Support: Access to practical and emotional support allows team members to manage stress and remain productive.

  5. Transformational Leadership: Leaders who inspire, empower, and value their team members foster resilience by encouraging growth and motivation.

  6. Team Purpose: A clear understanding of the team’s mission and goals fuels dedication and resilience.

  • Practical Implications:

  • Leaders should prioritize fostering a sense of community within their teams, promoting open communication and trust.

  • Organizations should invest in training and development programs that enhance team collaboration skills and create psychologically safe environments.

  • Teams should actively reflect on their dynamics and adapt their approaches based on the challenges they face

“Team resilience is more about that collective phenomenon. It’s built on how team members interact with each other, they support each other, recover together, and rather than on any individual grit alone."

- Dr. Renee Rookwood

First Friday with a Thought Leader is a monthly live event for the Corentus Community of Professionals Advancing Team Effectiveness.
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