Resilience Course Modules

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 30 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 50 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To think about what needs to happen to ensure we don't regret the things we didn't do.
• To consider the feelings of success, and their impact upon motivation.
• To look at the importance of creating objectives that are SMART.
• To consider the importance of taking control, and what prevents us doing that.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to think about their own short, medium and long-term goals.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
You might want to follow this module with the module entitled Five Balls – Goal Setting and Motivation, which illustrates the value of breaking long-term goals down into short-term achievable chunks.

We also recommend you refer to the module Breaking Goals Down, which contains further ideas for building on this module.

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To consider the link between attitudes and beliefs, and results.
• To identify the need to take responsibility for our own results.
• To build an understanding of what individuals might be capable of, if they adopt a positive attitude, and push themselves a little more.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This exercise includes mention of the story of Malala Yousafzai. Depending upon your audience, you may wish to substitute it for another story that resonates with your participants.

If you do use a different story, it is important that you choose ones that will be well known to your participants and which will highlight an individual who has overcome significant hardship to achieve something of genuine importance.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of determination in building resilience.
• To identify what determination is and where it comes from.
• To list some of the key factors that help make people more determined.
• To identify ways to become more determined.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff and managers at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To raise participants’ awareness of how their perceptions of situations influence their emotions and behaviour.
• To describe the types of unhelpful thinking we can identify in our perceptions.
• To provide an opportunity to identify how to change unhelpful thinking in a situation of the participant’s choosing.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 20 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Flipchart and at least 4 post-it notes per participant.

Notes:
The modules Managing Emotions and Difficult People – And How to Deal with Them are complementary to this module and can be combined with it to make a longer session. This module can be used as part of a course on managing or preventing stress. It can also be useful in courses on communication or negotiation, or presentation skills, where participants’ emotions and perceptions may influence their performance.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To help participants identify simple strategies for coping with stress.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of between 8 and 12 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Post-it notes.

Notes:
Since this module involves paired conversations, it works best in an environment where you can send people out of the training room to find a comfortable spot where they can talk freely and with a degree of confidentiality. On sunny days, this might be outside; in winter, a reception area or lounge can work very well. This module is suitable for anyone, but particularly those working in potentially stressful environments who need to identify and use simple coping strategies for stress. We suggest that this works best with a group of 8 -12 people - even numbers are best as this module requires working in pairs, although it will work with trios.

This module is best used as part of a complete programme of identifying and managing stress. Work-related stress is now recognised as a serious issue and to comply with the law employers and employees have duties:
• Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities; and
• Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to take measures to control that risk.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to increase awareness of their emotional reaction to other people’s behaviour and how to deal with people they find ‘difficult’.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
The modules Managing Emotions and Changing Perceptions and Emotions are complementary to this module and can be combined with it to make a longer session.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To provide an opportunity for participants to consider how they perceive themselves and how others perceive them.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• One set of Feelings Cards per participant (provided).

Notes:
Use this in any training session where you want participants to reflect on how they see themselves and how they think they are seen by others.

You will need to use strong facilitation skills to debrief this exercise.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 45 minutes to complete (but can be shortened if necessary). In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to consider how customers and staff view their organisation.
• To identify cultural/image strengths and weaknesses within the organisation.
• To generate discussion about how cultural/image strengths can be maintained, and how weaknesses might be overcome.

Group Size:
Fairly adaptable but we would recommend use with groups of less than 15 participants, working in two teams.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• One set of Feelings Cards per team.
• Flipchart paper and marker pens for each team.
• Blu-tack.

Notes:
Use this as a catalyst for discussing how the organisation is currently viewed by its stakeholders, and how participants would like it to be viewed in the future.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library - Brand Reflection - How are we seen?.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to consider their attitude.
• To encourage discussion around optimistic versus pessimistic outlooks.
• To recognise the impact that attitude has on performance.
• To enable participants to identify personal traits that might be holding them back.
• To encourage leaders to consider how they might deal with negative attitudes in their team.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module provides an excellent opportunity, when working with a wide range of participants, to consider how attitude can impact on performance. Topics where the inclusion of a module looking at optimism/pessimism might be beneficial include:
• Managing change.
• Problem solving and decision making.
• Customer service.
• Selling skills.
• Leading a team.
• Strategic leadership.
• Communication skills.
• Planning and scheduling.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 30 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To demonstrate a link between self-belief and results.
• To encourage participants to consider the impact positivity has on their own performance and the performance of others.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• A syndicate room, or separate area in which Team 1 can work.
• A pack of 54 ‘Filing Frenzy’ cards for each team.
• A stopwatch/timer.
• You might like to use a bell or whistle to announce the start/end of the exercise.

Notes:
This exercise may not be suitable for participants who are colour blind or visually impaired. However, in most cases anyone who falls into this category can still be involved. Ask them to observe/listen to the teams during the exercise, identifying effective and less effective behaviours in order to provide constructive feedback afterwards.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 50 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify where resilience comes from and what makes people resilient.
• To understand how and why different people have different levels of resilience.
• To introduce six keys to personal resilience.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff and managers at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Coloured post-it notes.
• A set of six cut-keys and labels (from the template provided) for each team.
• String and blu-tack.
• Enough clear wall space for each team within the group to be able to put up, and move around, lots of post-it notes.

Notes:
This module can be used as a stand-alone module but is also a great way to introduce various topics that you might want to go on to explore in greater detail. It helps participants understand the wide range of factors that can influence an individual’s levels of resilience.

If you are going to move on to look at the six keys to personal resilience in greater detail then you may wish to leave out the final exercise. In this case you should be able to complete the module in 60 minutes.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing at least 50 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants to consider how it feels to be different from the majority.
• To encourage understanding of the sources of prejudicial feelings and ways of behaving that can make others feel uncomfortable.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 15 participants with enough to encourage discussion.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• To practise reading the scenario through several times to familiarise yourself before the session. (If your level of membership allows, there is an audio recording of the scenario in Trainers’ Library that you can use if you prefer not to read it aloud yourself.)

Notes:
This exercise uses an imaginative method for raising awareness of prejudice and really gets participants thinking.

It is important to use this activity within a diversity course in which ground rules of showing respect for individual opinions and experiences have been established. The content is potentially sensitive and it is important that the trainer monitors conversations during the group work to pick up on any intrusive questioning of minorities within the group, which could mirror the unhelpful behaviour described in the imaginary scenario.

The module consists of four activities:

Part 1:
1) Reading/Playing the scenario.
2) Discussion of the experience of imagining yourself into the scenario.
3) Input on where the attitudes and feelings may come from and the unhelpful behaviours that may follow.

Part 2:
4) Discussion in groups of what the two sets of people in the scenario could do to encourage acceptance and integration.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify the management of emotions as a skill of emotional intelligence.
• To increase participants awareness of how emotions affect behaviour.
• To enable participants to describe strategies for taking control of emotion in themselves and others.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
The modules Difficult People and Changing Perceptions and Emotions are complementary to this module and can be combined with it to make a longer session.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To consider the role goals can play in helping a positive mental attitude and resilience.
• To consider why goals can help or hinder our resilience and how to ensure our goals help us move forward positively.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This activity encourages participants to reflect on a personal goal. It’s important therefore that their right to privacy is respected and that participants are invited rather than asked to share their thoughts, insights and ideas.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 100 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 150 minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To help participants, especially managers, recognise likely causes of workplace stress and take steps to deal with these.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Post-it® notes and blu-tak.

Notes:
This module is best used as part of a complete programme of identifying and managing stress. Work-related stress is now recognised as a serious issue and to comply with the law employers and employees have duties:
• Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, to asses the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities; and
• Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, to take measures to control that risk.

For this session you will need to download the Management Standards and be familiar with the definitions for each of the six factors identified.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 35 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants understand the ability for fear to debilitate.
• To explore what happens if we continue to avoid new situations that scare us.
• To explore the principle of Comfort Zone, Learning Zone and Panic Zone, and the function of each.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• To practise reading the story through several times to familiarise yourself before the session. (If your level of membership allows, there is an audio recording of the story in Trainers’ Library that you can use if you prefer not to read it aloud yourself.)

Notes:
This module looks at the impact of fear on our ability to achieve goals and fulfil our potential. It’s a useful addition to any training around personal development, adaptability and resilience. It also looks at the role of the Comfort Zone in learning and is therefore also important to trainers, or those taking on a people development role. In addition, it’s a useful module to include in any topic specific training, where fear of a new situation might hold learners back from achieving their full potential.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 15 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To increase participants awareness of the brain’s flexibility and potential for growth.
• To explore ways in which our Stretch Zone can be expanded, to strengthen our resilience.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module can be used as an alternative to The Monster of Anesi, or in conjunction with it. Where the focus of that module is on learning, the focus here is on resilience, though many of the learning points are shared.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.