Recently, we hosted our first Breakfast Series Event, a unique opportunity for our customers to network and gain insights from a lineup of respected speakers.   

Given the challenging times we are all facing, the focus of our first event was resilience. Defined as the ability to withstand or “bounce back” quickly from difficult experiences and to maintain psychological well-being in the face of adversity, resilience is something that many of us need now more than ever. When thinking about resilience, we couldn’t think of anyone more qualified to speak on this topic than Crusaders Head Coach Rob Penney.  

Resilience in Challenging Times 

We all know times are getting tougher out there and organisations are being squeezed to do more with less. Building resilience is going to be key if we want to keep our teams motivated and performing. 

Looking back at his team’s own year, Rob Penney shared his honest reflections on the recent Super Rugby season, a time filled with both highs and lows.  

The 2024 Super Rugby Pacific competition was challenging for the Crusaders and being able to re-group, refocus and keep on giving it your best shot are at the heart of what the team is all about.  

Dealing with adversity 

There are three key areas that the Crusaders focus on to drive behaviour and performance, both on and off the pitch: care, optimism, and passion. 

Care 

Coach Penney talked about how care underpins their strong culture. That supporting one another is vital.  

'You can’t go into contact without your support.' It’s the same in business.   

When one team member is under pressure it’s important to identify it and bring in the backing they need. And importantly, it’s also vital to give them the autonomy to produce results, rather than micro-managing. Your confidence in them builds confidence in themselves.  

Optimism  

Positive psychology is a respected approach to ensuring triumph over adversity, as championed by the respected American specialist Martin Seligman. Adhering to this philosophy means the Crusaders build belief that success is coming. Whereas pessimism means you fall into a hole from which there’s no way out.  

Passion  

People need to be passionate about what they do. Passion and optimism gives your team the motivation to identify opportunities and capitalise on them, and to dig in when things get tough. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each member of your team will help them come together and leverage their skills off one another. They can trust and rely on one another to achieve results.  

When these three things come together, people perform better and organisations will too. No matter what your team looks like, from construction workers, farmers, educators, or office workers, physical and mental health are key to bouncing back from difficult times. 

Join us for the next UniMed Breakfast Series  

If you’re interested in attending our next FREE Breakfast Event, please join us on Tuesday 8 October. We’ll be hearing from Crusaders Performance Dietitian Conrad Goodhew, on how nutrition is crucial for you and your team’s personal and professional wellbeing. 

To register for the in-person event: click here. 
To register for our online webinar: click here.