How can IT professionals develop resilience?
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— The LinkedIn Team
Resilience is the ability to cope with stress, adversity, and change in a positive and constructive way. It is a crucial skill for IT professionals, who face constant challenges, uncertainties, and demands in their work environment. How can you develop resilience as an IT professional? Here are some tips to help you.
One of the first steps to develop resilience is to know yourself and your capabilities. You can use self-assessment tools, feedback from others, or personal reflection to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an IT professional. This will help you leverage your strengths, address your gaps, and set realistic and achievable goals for your personal and professional growth.
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Saraswathi Ramachandra (She/Her/Hers)
Director at Citi
After 2 decades IT, from my experience, Continuously learn and adapting along with agility is key. Key focus on problem-solving skills and continuous sharpening would be important area. Because of changing landscape and constant change, stress to stay abreast is going to be constant, managing that is another important element by prioritising time and tasks, enhancing emotional intelligence, seeking help when needed and thinking innovative solutions. Also build a strong professional network. Also, self-care - don’t ever ignore.
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Katherine Scott
Founding Partner | Enabling alignment and desired outcomes in a confusing & complex technology market | Strategic Advisor to CXOs/Boards with a mission for delivering value through technology | Helicopter 🚁 Mom
Treating each mistake, "failure", issue, outage, miscommunication, etc. as a learning opportunity. That's really my biggest advice. There are a lot of opportunities to do so regardless of how you're involved in IT - we learn much more from those situations and scenarios and much more quickly than we do when things are just humming along. So resilience comes with looking at missteps and issues/failures as an opportunity in IT, I've found that it built exactly the resilience that I needed.
Another key aspect of resilience is the willingness to learn and adapt to new situations and technologies. You can embrace learning and change by seeking out opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills, such as taking online courses, reading blogs and books, or joining communities of practice. You can also adopt a growth mindset, which means seeing challenges as opportunities to improve rather than as threats or failures.
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Matt Beran
Host of Ticket Volume podcast, InvGate Product Specialist, IT Fan
So many people select a framework or concept and focus their attention and energy to going deep in that specific discipline. I recommend do this, but also taking the time to diversify. You never know when a new or useful concept will help you with a problem or challenge.
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Doug Rabold ITIL®, HDI-CI
6x Top 25 Thought Leader and CX Influencer, International Speaker, Author, & Certified Trainer who delivers exceptional experiences by leading transformative culture change
There is an old adage: "If you're not moving forward, you're falling behind." Our world is dynamic and fluid, ever-evolving, requiring that we continue to learn as the world changes around us. The key to moving forward, to advancing is growth and development - which means embracing a lifelong learner mindset. It need not be structured learning like advanced college courses or certification programs. It can be micro-learning... Or YouTube videos... Or webinars... Or articles from trusted resources... Be creative in finding ways to learn that suit your learning style, interests, and time available. Throughout your career, throughout your life, be sure as Stephen Covey said in '7 Habits of Highly Effective People', to "sharpen the saw."
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Resilience is not only a personal trait, but also a social one. You can build your network and support system by connecting with other IT professionals who share your interests, values, and goals. You can also seek mentorship, guidance, or feedback from more experienced or senior colleagues, who can offer you insights, advice, or encouragement. Moreover, you can cultivate positive relationships with your peers, managers, and clients, who can provide you with collaboration, recognition, and trust.
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Dean Patterson
CIO | DCIO | VP of IT | Experienced IT Executive | Strategic Visionary | Operational Excellence | Digital Transformation | Cybersecurity Expert | Award-Winning Leader
Start by connecting with like-minded IT folks who share your passions and goals. These connections are more than just LinkedIn connections; they're your go-to when you need advice, brainstorming, or simply a friendly chat about tech trends. Don't forget the power of mentors. Seasoned pros can be your guiding stars, providing insights, wisdom, and even a shoulder to lean on when things get bumpy.
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Vishal Tyagi
Leader : Strategy, Digital, Transformation & Delivery
Resilience in IT is social strength (and not only personal) and it is vital for navigating complex problems and rapid industry changes. Resilience is built on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and community support, with professionals leaning on networks for guidance and shared learning. This interdependence & collab ensures teams adapt swiftly and thrive during various challenges.
Resilience also involves managing your stress and emotions effectively, especially when you face difficult or demanding situations in your work. You can manage your stress and emotions by practicing self-care, such as getting enough sleep, exercise, and nutrition, as well as engaging in hobbies or activities that relax you. You can also use coping strategies, such as breathing exercises, meditation, or positive affirmations, to calm yourself and regain your focus.
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Indy Kaur
API Marketplace Product Owner| IT Programme Manager| Banking| Women in Tech Lead| DEI Advocate
I have seen the impact of taking time out to re focus the mind has on my ability to build and be resilient. Using a simple Headspace guided meditation daily from 3-10mins can make all the difference. Rather that stress or worry you are taking care of yourself
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Joseph V Thomas
CEO, COO & Board Adviser | Billion-Dollar Business Architect | ESG & Cybersecurity Advocate | Climate Action & Tech Innovator | Social Impact Strategist
Effective stress management leads to clearer thinking and sustained resilience in the demanding IT field. Managing stress and emotions is essential for IT professionals: Prioritize self-care 💤: Ensure adequate sleep, regular exercise 🏃♂️, and proper nutrition 🍎. Engage in relaxing activities 🎨 or hobbies that detach you from work-related stress. Practice coping strategies like deep breathing exercises 🧘♀️, meditation, or using positive affirmations to maintain emotional balance.
Finally, resilience also requires reflecting and celebrating your achievements, no matter how big or small they are. You can reflect and celebrate your achievements by keeping a journal, a portfolio, or a list of your accomplishments, where you can review your progress, learn from your mistakes, and acknowledge your efforts. You can also share your achievements with others, such as your network, support system, or online community, where you can receive feedback, recognition, or praise.
By following these tips, you can develop resilience as an IT professional, which will help you overcome challenges, embrace opportunities, and achieve your goals.
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Joseph V Thomas
CEO, COO & Board Adviser | Billion-Dollar Business Architect | ESG & Cybersecurity Advocate | Climate Action & Tech Innovator | Social Impact Strategist
Building resilience in IT means recognizing your progress: Document your successes in a journal or portfolio 📓. Reflect on lessons learned and effort expended 🔍. Celebrate and share your wins with your network and online community 👏. Acknowledging your achievements reinforces resilience, spurring continued growth and success in your IT career. 🚀🎉
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Anderson Aquino
Belonging to a group eager for knowledge, your desire to learn and share with this group will be reflected in motivation and greater results and therefore will continually feed this pattern. There will be no lack of motivation and reasons for endless evolution.
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Rajeev Vijayan
CEO & Co-Founder @ The Able Mind | Consulting | Technology
Change is often a source of anxiety and stress, but it is also an opportunity to learn and grow. Accepting change as a constant in life and adopting a flexible perspective can help you to better handle uncertainties and build your resilience. Set realistic goals that are aligned with your strengths and values. Talking to a mentor or coach can help you to develop a practical and achievable plan. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, but it is only possible if you are well-prepared, grounded and realistic about your own strengths.
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Anurag Sehgal
Senior advisor enabling organizations to define and execute their Strategic IT and Digital transformation roadmaps | Associate Partner at Infosys Consulting | ex - Kearney | ex - EY
Too generic a topic and can apply to any profession, but worth mentioning. 1. Accept the fact that no ones perfect 2. Unlearn and learn, constantly 3. Accept feedback, its a "gift" 4. Have mentors 5. Be grateful