National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference 2024

Brauner, R and Crocker, A.
In today's dynamic and fast-paced work environment, resiliency is fundamental to success and
well-being. Resilience empowers individuals to effectively navigate the inevitable challenges,
uncertainties, and pressures that arise in the workplace (Jackson, Firtko, & Edenborough,
2007). Resilience is not just about bouncing back but about thriving through adversity (Norris
et al., 2022). By cultivating resilience, professionals can maintain their mental and emotional
equilibrium, enhance their problem-solving abilities, and continue to perform at their best even
in the face of change and stress (Norris et al., 2022). Moreover, a resilient workforce fosters
collaboration, innovation, and overall productivity thus contributing to a positive and adaptive
organizational culture (Jackson, Firtko, & Edenborough, 2007). With a focus on workforce
development, prevention of professional burnout, and mitigation of organizational tension, the
Cooperative Extension community has maintained a longstanding commitment to addressing
resiliency concerns, both within and beyond its boundaries (Ensle 2005, Bradley et al. 2012).
Workforce resilience refers to the capacity of employees to effectively navigate challenging
circumstances, cope with stress, adapt to new conditions, and sustain motivation within their
work environment. An assessment based on the OneOp, a virtual professional development
network, webinar series on resiliency delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic identifies best
practices that Cooperative Extension can employ to impart essential resilience skills to both
individuals and service providers, contributing to a more resilient and adaptable workforce.
This session will focus on applying these identified strategies to the context of the Cooperative
Extension professional.