Summary:RECIPE FOR RESILIENCE

In earlier chapters, we’ve unpacked how five critical areas impact the wellbeing of professionals and shared strategies for building personal resilience. But let’s be clear: individual effort isn’t enough. For a truly resilient industry, leadership and organizations must step up, take responsibility, and drive change. And there’s plenty of room for improvement: our research reveals that only one in five employees receive any form of support for the challenges they experience. In this section, our experts highlight key strategies to help organizations move beyond surface-level fixes, fostering future-ready workplaces where both people and businesses thrive.

Crafting Resilience: Six key ingredients of organizational culture

Thriving workplaces are built on solid foundations, like fair pay and clear roles, but the real magic lies in cultural elements that are often overlooked. Here are six actionable strategies to address critical gaps, meet the expectations of tomorrow’s workforce, and create a workplace that doesn’t just survive – but flourishes. While they may not be exhaustive solutions, they offer a starting point that management can act on today to build a more resilient workplace.

Invest in a preventive mental health support

Mental health isn’t just a checkbox – it’s a foundation for success. Yet, many organizations are reactive rather than proactive. Psychologist Stefan Pagréus, who himself has worked in the industry, urges leaders in the industry to see preventive mental health support as non-negotiable.

- The creative industries are built on brilliant, but sometimes fragile minds, and employers need to work to preserve them. Considering that mental illness negatively affects strategical, analytical and creative thinking – the very qualities that our industry is built on – employees should be offered yearly mental health checks and therapy. See it as an investment and strategy for self-preservation. Because really, without your employees, you’re just an empty office with some outdated Macs.

See it as an investment and strategy for self-preservation. Because really, without your employees, you’re just an empty office with some outdated Macs.
Stefan Pagréus
Psychologist

Create a culture of psychological safety

Resilience in the workplace starts with a foundation of trust and security. From battling impostor syndrome to navigating social stress, many challenges identified in this study share a common root: a lack of psychological safety. As Sylvia Baffour puts it:

- Psychological safety means creating a space where employees can speak up, share concerns, and even fail without fear. Only then can they truly thrive.

When employees feel safe, vulnerability transforms from a weakness into a superpower. It fosters open communication, sparks innovation, and builds stronger, more adaptable teams. A culture of psychological safety doesn’t just address today’s challenges – it equips organizations to weather future storms. Resilient workplaces don’t shy away from the hard stuff; they embrace it with trust, transparency, and the confidence that every voice matters. The question is: are you ready to create an environment where people feel safe enough to be their bold, authentic selves?

Without emotional regulation, empathy is impossible. And without empathy, you can’t build authentic relationships or influence stakeholders – cornerstones of effective communication.
Sylvia Baffour
Emotional intelligence expert

Cultivate emotional intelligence

Resilience thrives on emotional intelligence – the ability to stay composed, empathize deeply, and adapt under pressure. It’s not just a “nice-to-have” skill; it’s a critical asset for every level of an organization, from leadership to HR to the frontlines. This is especially true in the PR and communications industry, as Sylvia Baffour highlights

- Without emotional regulation, empathy is impossible. And without empathy, you can’t build authentic relationships or influence stakeholders – cornerstones of effective communication. Yet, while many companies chase advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to stay competitive, the real game-changer for future proofing businesses lies in EI. Investing in emotional intelligence creates teams that adapt faster, connect better, and handle challenges with grace – giving organizations a sustainable edge in today’s fast-paced world.

Cultivating emotional intelligence in the organization is a long-term project, and can be done in many ways. Engaging in coaching sessions to develop self-awareness, providing education through workshops on empathy and communication skills, and inspiring teams by modeling positive behavior and fostering a culture of open dialogue and support are just some examples. Which one can you start with today?

Build moral competence

Moral stress, caused by ethical gray areas, unclear values, and lack of communication, not only weighs heavily on professionals’ mental wellbeing, but can also lead to morally doubtful behaviors. Thus, as Professor of Organizational Ethics Tomas Brytting points out, organizations need to build their “moral competence” to more actively support employees in navigating moral dilemmas.

-This means creating clear frameworks for ethical decision-making and fostering a culture that respects individual conscience. It’s not just about reducing stress; it’s about building a resilient, value-driven organization.

For a deeper dive on how to build a morally competent organization, check out Tomas’s five pillars to the right.

Five pillars of a morally competent organization

  1. Regulations

    First, organizations need to have a written framework consisting of regulations and policies that everyone is aware of.

  2. Value system

    While often despised, a value system, congruent with current regulations, is important to define the organization’s common values and the culture everyone should live by.

  3. Space for the individual conscience

    Regulations and value systems are useless if you don't talk about them, or if employees don’t feel listened to or safe raising their voices on these matters. Thus, it’s crucial to practice what I call “giving space for individual conscience”, which means raising awareness and making sure people feel safe discussing these issues without negative consequence. Here, leaders play a key role in establishing this psychological safety.

  4. Scheduled dilemma sessions

    This could be in the form of scheduled “dilemma meetings” with your supervisor, or “dilemma of the month sessions”, where employees get to discuss a real-life dilemma, especially those in which regulations and value system seem to come in conflict. In this way, you gradually work up the ability to reflect on and navigate morally charged situations in real life.

  5. Moral role models

    Identify people in the organization who have experience dealing with dilemmas and can help to support and judge the seriousness of a situation as well as the possible consequences of different alternatives.

Dare to treat people differently

One-size-fits-all approaches to workplace wellbeing simply don’t work. People are individuals, with unique needs and motivations, and recognizing those differences is essential for fostering both their happiness and performance. Yet, as personality researcher Petri Kajonius highlights, many workplaces shy away from tailoring their strategies.

- Research shows that personality traits are the biggest factor in employee well-being. Yet, many organizations stick to generic solutions, bound by a culture of extreme benevolence where leaders fear breaking norms or being seen as unfair. The result? Less connection, more confusion, and unnecessary stress. While the intention behind treating everyone equally is noble, the impact often falls short.

A true culture of well-being requires bold leadership – leaders willing to embrace individuality and craft personalized strategies that align with employees’ strengths.

- Courageous leaders who dare to adapt tasks to fit their people’s strengths aren’t just boosting well-being; they’re unlocking productivity and building more resilient organizations. It’s not an easy shift, but the rewards – happier teams, greater trust, and a thriving workplace – are well worth the effort.

Research shows that personality traits are the biggest factor in employee well-being. Yet, many organizations stick to generic solutions, bound by a culture of extreme benevolence where leaders fear breaking norms or being seen as unfair.
Petri Kajonius
Personality researcher

Practice radical genuineness

Lastly, the secret sauce to cutting through workplace stress and disconnection? Radical genuineness. Petri Kajonius calls for leaders to ditch the façades, embrace authenticity, and connect with their teams on a human level.

- Too many leaders waste energy trying to conform to norms and maintain a perfect image instead of genuinely seeing their employees. If leaders could lower their guards and stop pretending to be superhuman, that energy could be redirected into building trust and fostering connection.

Radical genuineness, or striving towards your comfort of authenticity, is about showing up as you are, imperfections and all, and encouraging others to do the same. It’s not just liberating – it’s transformative. Leaders who lead with authenticity create environments where teams feel seen, heard, and valued. The result? Stronger relationships, deeper trust, and a workplace culture that thrives on real connection. It’s time to stop posturing and start connecting – because authenticity isn’t just refreshing; it’s the foundation of resilience.

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