By Allison Ebner
November 25, 2025 Beacon Article, Blog Post
Let’s be honest: nobody has a crystal ball for 2026. Economic forecasters are hedging their bets, headlines contradict each other daily, and your leadership team is probably asking “what should we plan for?” Interest rates, tariffs, labor markets, healthcare costs—pick your uncertainty. It’s enough to make anyone want to just freeze and wait for clarity.
But here’s the thing: clarity isn’t coming. At least not in the neat, predictable way we’d like to see it.
So maybe the better question isn’t “what will happen?” but “are we ready for whatever happens?” That shift – from prediction to preparation – is where real organizational resilience lives. And it doesn’t start with your financial projections or your strategic plan. It starts with your people, your processes, and your culture.
The Scenario Planning Mindset
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with our CHRO PEER group to talk about succession planning. The conversation quickly turned towards scenario planning. You’ve probably heard of scenario planning—it’s been a business buzzword for years. But strip away the consulting speak, and it’s actually pretty simple: instead of betting everything on one forecast, you map out a few different “what if” scenarios. Maybe it’s an economic boom, recession, or steady state. Maybe it’s a labor shortage, a surplus of applicants, or continued volatility. It could even be imagining different scenarios to replace a key member of your team. (Example: How can AI influence the competencies needed for the role over time?)
Here’s what makes this approach powerful: each scenario impacts your workforce differently, but certain fundamentals keep you stable no matter which one unfolds.
Take a mid-sized manufacturing company we work with. Last year, they were genuinely unsure whether they’d need to ramp up production or tighten their belts. Instead of choosing one path and hoping for the best, they focused on cross training their workforce, establishing transparent communication channels, and building flexible work structures. When reality landed somewhere in the middle—modest growth in one product line, contraction in another—they were ready. Teams shifted. Nobody panicked. Work got done.
The lesson? You can’t predict the future, but you can absolutely build a team that adapts to it.
Three Pillars of People Resilience
So, what does building an intentionally resilient workforce actually look like? In our experience working with organizations across the Northeast, it comes down to three core pillars.
Pillar 1: Flexible Processes That Bend, Not Break
Cross training isn’t just for emergencies—it’s your everyday insurance policy. When multiple people can handle critical functions, you’re not held hostage by a resignation, a family leave, or a sudden surge in demand. You’ve got options.
This means thinking beyond rigid job descriptions. Can your production scheduler help with quality control if needed? Does your HR coordinator understand the basics of payroll? Could your senior engineer train others on that specialized equipment?
Agile scheduling and workforce planning matter too. Organizations that can scale up or down without total chaos have usually practiced flexibility when things were calm. They’ve tested different shift patterns, experimented with project-based teams, and built systems that don’t require everything to stay exactly the same.
Here’s a practical starting point: Map your critical functions, the ones that absolutely must happen for your organization to operate. Then make sure at least two people can handle each one. If you find single points of failure, you’ve found your training priorities.
Pillar 2: Communication That Builds Trust Before You Need It
In uncertain times, silence is dangerous. When leadership goes quiet, the rumor mill fills the void with speculation, anxiety, and worst-case scenarios. By the time you share actual information, you’re fighting misinformation and damaged trust.
Regular, honest updates—even when you don’t have all the answers—build credibility. “Here’s what we know. Here’s what we’re watching. Here’s what we’re not sure about yet, and here’s when we’ll update you next.” Your people can handle uncertainty. What they can’t handle is feeling left in the dark.
Create real channels for two-way feedback. Town halls where employees can ask questions. Skip-level meetings where frontline workers can talk directly to senior leaders. Your employees often see changes coming before leadership does—they’re talking to customers, handling complaints, noticing workflow issues. Tap into that intelligence.
One healthcare organization we work with holds monthly “what we’re seeing” sessions. Leadership shares industry trends they’re monitoring. Department heads share operational challenges. Frontline staff share patient feedback and concerns. Nothing formal, nothing scripted, just honest conversation. When they had to make difficult decisions during a budget crunch, people understood why because they’d been part of the dialogue all along.
Pillar 3: Culture That Treats Change as Normal, Not Catastrophic
Organizations that practice small changes regularly handle big changes better. It’s like muscle memory—if your team is used to adapting, adjusting, and problem-solving, they don’t freeze when something significant shifts.
This requires psychological safety. People need to feel they can raise concerns early, suggest solutions, and even admit when something isn’t working—without fear of blame or punishment. In a resilient culture, “I think we have a problem” is a valuable contribution, not a career-limiting statement.
Your recognition programs matter here too. Are you celebrating the people who adapt well? The teams that figure out creative solutions under pressure? The employees who help their colleagues through transitions? What you reward is what you’ll get more of.
And when things do change—because they will—acknowledge it directly. Don’t pretend everything’s fine or expect people to just roll with it silently. “This is different, and here’s how we’re handling it together” goes a long way. People can handle change. They struggle with pretending change isn’t happening.
The ROI of Resilience
Let’s talk about the practical benefits, because this isn’t just feel-good HR philosophy.
Lower turnover: Organizations with resilient workforces see lower turnover when times get tough. Why? Because employees stay where they feel secure even during insecurity. They trust leadership to be honest. They know they’re valued. They’ve seen the organization navigate challenges before without throwing people overboard.
Bigger opportunities: Resilient organizations respond faster to opportunities too. When a new contract comes through or a competitor stumbles, they can mobilize quickly because their people are used to shifting gears. There’s less “but we’ve always done it this way” resistance and more “okay, what needs to happen?” momentum.
Financial accountability: And from a cost perspective, building resilience is cheaper than emergency responses. Panic hiring, scrambling consultants, recovering from mass departures, repairing damaged morale—all that costs more than investing in cross-training, communication systems, and cultural foundations.
Practical First Steps
If you’re reading this thinking “sounds great, but where do I start? The key is to take small steps.
First, assess your current state honestly. Where are your single points of failure? Which roles or functions would create chaos if someone left tomorrow? Where do employees feel anxious or uninformed? Your gut probably already knows the answers, but it helps to name them explicitly.
Then try these three actions in Q1:
- Hold a leadership team scenario planning session. Just 90 minutes. Map out three different scenarios for the next 12-18 months. For each one, ask “what would this mean for our workforce?” You’ll quickly see patterns—the capabilities you need regardless of which scenario unfolds, and the vulnerabilities each scenario would expose.
- Audit your communication channels and commit to consistent transparency. How often do you share information with employees? Are you waiting for certainty, or are you comfortable sharing what you’re thinking about? Set a rhythm—monthly updates, quarterly town halls, whatever works—and stick to it.
- Identify one cross-training opportunity and make it happen. Pick a critical function that depends on one person. Create a plan to train backup. Don’t overthink it. Just start.
Building for Whatever Comes
Resilience isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about building an organization where people feel equipped, informed, and valued no matter what comes. It’s about creating systems that flex instead of break. It’s about leadership that communicates honestly and treats employees like adults who can handle reality.
The organizations that thrive through uncertainty aren’t lucky—they’re prepared. And that preparation starts with how you treat, train, and talk with your people.
Allison
Allison Ebner
President, EANE
Aebner@EANE.org