The Resilience & Sustainability Connection

Sustainability and resilience are concepts that are often used interchangeably as part of the “post-COVID-19 workplace” discussion. At its core, each concept has a different meaning and their connection is an important consideration when updating business strategy and organizational design. We have learned that we cannot prioritize one over the other. How can organizations evolve to enable sustainability AND resilience?

In order to understand the relationship between sustainability and resilience, we must first understand the difference. Preparing for a sustainable future refers to how an organization meets its current needs, preserves the ability to meet those same needs in the future, and strengthens its operations over time. Resilience refers to an organization’s capability to prepare for future threats, absorb impacts, and adapt to the changes that occur after a disruptive event.

“A lack of resilience will pose a particular threat to vulnerable groups or systems… This inability, if exposed to either prolonged or repeated disturbances or shocks, subsequently results in a system’s gradual decline. The recovery process, when a system… is more vulnerable, will be more complex and invariably more expensive. If, however, resilience is strengthened or enhanced, a system will be more likely to withstand shocks and also recover faster and at less expense than a vulnerable counterpart.”

Patrick Moloney: “Resilience: A Sustainability Prerequisite?”, https://ramboll.com/ingenuity/resilience-a-sustainability-prerequisite 

Creating operating models that are both sustainable and resilient becomes even more important in highly uncertain markets, especially:

How can you create a commercial organization that is resilient, sustainable, and thrives in complex and uncertain markets?

Strategic Marketing tools and frameworks (e.g., Uncertainty Assessment, Value Proposition, etc.) develop actionable insights and clarify how value creation is changing in dynamic markets. Market Edge’s suite of tools ensures that consistent application and communication across your organization.

Interested in implementing new resilience and sustainability strategies into your organization using Market Edge tools? Fill out the form below.