RESILIENCE

Facilitator Guide
 FACILITATOR GUIDE INTRODUCTION

We would like to start by saying thanks for becoming a facilitator and a champion for resilience.

We hope you enjoy it and are able to develop some new skills in developing and maintaining resilience, and also in
facilitating the delivery of the modules for your colleagues.

We are all born with the capacity to deal with and bounce back from problems and challenging situations – this is
known as Resilience. This ability, just like one’s ability to play a particular sport or instrument, can be improved and
strengthened with practice and by learning new techniques. Increasing and strengthening our capacity to deal with
life’s ups and downs helps us to be the best that we can be as individuals and teams, and has an important link to
safety.

This programme is made-up of five core modules. It starts with “What is Resilience” and there is an accompanying
video which explains what it is all about.

The other four modules are:

 Change is a Part of Living
 Looking at Situations in a Different Way
 Take Care of Yourself
 Take Decisive Action

Each one has a key resilience technique which is linked to safety. The modules deliver this in a variety of ways such
as exercises, discussions and even some role play. All participants will bring their experiences to the table and it’s
important to get the group to work together to learn from each other. Please feel free to use your own language and
terms which would be familiar to the group. We have given example scenarios but encourage you and your team to
give their own examples which are more relevant to you.

Please allow at least 30 minutes to complete a module- of course they can go on longer if required. It doesn’t matter
which order the modules are run in. It’s good to leave a period of time between each modue (e.g. 1 week, 2 weeks)
as it then gives people time to think on what they have learnt, to discuss it with their colleagues and think how it
applies to their every day lives.

Each member of the team should be given the “Participants Guide” which contains the paperwork for the exercises,
the example scenarios and gives them somewhere to make notes and ideas. The Guide is for their own use so that
they can reflect on the topics covered in the session.

TOP TIPS

1. Present with passion

2. Be enthusiastic and supportive of the content
3. Listen and don’t talk too much yourself (the answer is in the room!)
4. Be open and curious (ask open questions)
5. Read this guide and allow enough time to be prepared to facilitate the module
and try to think of good examples you can use from your own experience.
 PRACTICAL POINTS

 Read through the module before you deliver it so that you understand what it is about, any
examples you could use and also the practicalities of setting up the session

 Find a room/area big enough to hold these sessions

 You will need chairs for all participants and a few tables. Make sure there is enough space for
people to break into pairs or small teams for discussion. Where possible keep the session in one
room, you will lose valuable time when people are moving in and out of multiple rooms.

 Make sure you have the appropriate equipment available for the session e.g. pens, post-it notes,
flip chart etc

 Deliver a short safety brief at the beginning of each session. : familiarise yourself with alarm
procedure and emergency numbers, and review the evacuation floor plan for emergency exits
and muster points

 Check whether all participants are familiar with each other and if not, hold a brief introduction
round where all participants tell their name and function. You can use the opportunity to make
it informal by asking each person to say a fun fact about themselves, etc.

 Remind participants that personal information may be shared in these sessions. It is important
that we respect each other’s confidentiality and do not share sensitive information outside of
the sessions.
 WHAT IS RESILIENCE?

Play the video

THE LINK TO SAFETY PERFORMANCE

Developing resilience gives us the skills to improve our response to difficult or stressful situations’. The resilience
techniques help us to train our brains to see stress in a different way and allow us to use our brains to the best of our
abilities during challenging times and while working in safety critical environments.

REVIEW THE KEY MESSAGES

 We work in a hazardous industry and the way we think is critical to

keeping ourselves, teams, assets and environment safe.

 By learning more about how we think under pressure and increasing

our resilience, we learn an important skill that helps us work safely

 Resilience is the ability to bounce back and effectively deal with

problems and challenges in day to day life as well as high stress
situations

 Learning resilience techniques give you a number of ways to cope, so if

one doesn’t work, you can use another way.

 The news is that resilience is a skill that can be learned, and like any
skill, the more you practice, the better you get.

DISCUSSION

 Facilitator leads a discussion by asking the following questions: (Page 4 in the Participants Guide)

 Have you ever thought about resilience before?

 Can you think of a time when you have had to be resilient or a situation where a high level of resilience would
be helpful?
 Can you think of a resilient person- in your own life, at work or in public life. Some examples are given in the
Participants Guide- Page 6.
 Why was it important that they were resilient?
 What did it allow them to achieve
 Are there any experiences that have helped to develop your resilience?
 How could developing your resilience be helpful for keeping you and your teams safe?
(Some potential scenarios are given in the appendix)

 get.
 MODULES
 Explain the rest of the programme and how it will work:

Take Decisive Action

 There are four more modules. Each module has a key resilience
technique linked to safety
 The modules include discussions about team experiences and Change
simple scenarios to practice the techniques. So, all you need to
bring is your knowledge and experiences and you all learn from
each other. Look After Yourself
 The modules can be done in any order and in any time period
but it’s good to leave a little time between each (1-2 weeks) so
that you have time to think and reflect about what you have Looking at Situations a
learnt Different Way
 Your Resilience Guide Book contains explanations of all the
modules. Feel free to read ahead of the sessions

GROUND RULES
 Facilitator explains the ground rules

1. For this to work, we need your commitment. We need you to “be here” which means actively listening
and being involved in the activities.
2. It is entirely voluntary and you should only share what you feel comfortable sharing. All discussions
about personal experiences should be treated as confidential.

AGREE THE WAY FORWARD

 Getting the group to decide when/ where / how to facilitate the sessions helps them to “own” it.

Discuss the following ways you might run the sessions with the team. For example:

 Taking turns at facilitating the sessions also helps people to develop their own communication skills and makes
it a more inclusive programme
 Agree which module you will do next and then encourage them to think of good examples to share with the
rest of the team for the next time.
 Encourage them to discuss the modules afterwards as this helps to build a deeper understanding.
 CHANGE IS PART OF LIVING

EXPLAIN THE KEY MESSAGE

Change occurs all the time and it can make us
uncomfortable, make things seem more difficult EXPLAIN THE LINK TO SAFETY
and can be very distracting. At times of change we can become distracted and it’s
even more important to be aware and remain vigilant
In this module we are going to look at how you about safety.
respond to change and how that impacts others.
We are going to practise reacting in different ways A negative reaction to change and/or other peoples’
to change and learning how you can choose how suggestions can eventually cause people to become
you react to more positively. demoralised and safety issues can be missed.

EXPLAIN THE GOALS OF THIS MODULE

1 Change happens all the 2 At times of change there can be lapses 3 We may not have an influence
time and it is important to in safety as we may be distracted by over the change but we can
prepare ourselves for this the changes themselves or by the influence how we react to it. You
are accountable for your choice
reaction to it.
on how you respond to change
and how it impacts on others and
the safety of the work
environment.

RUNNING THE EXERCISES

1. Whole Group Exercise Even the smallest changes can be

Change Is Uncomfortable:
uncomfortable and distracting.
 Ask the group to make themselves comfortable in their chair
 Ask the group to now cross their arms.
 Note how a proportion cross left over right.
 Now ask people to cross their arms the other way.

2. Discussion
 Is that change from your usual position uncomfortable?
 How does it make you feel?
 Do other people in the room look comfortable?
 Are you showing resistance to change?
3. Group Exercise (3-4) (Pages 10-14 in the Participants Guide)
 Choose one of the following scenarios below
 Each person should be assigned as Person 1, 2 or 3.
 Where there are more than 3 persons per group, the extra people acts as observer/audience.
 Ask the participants to read the appropriate briefing note for their role on pages 13-15 of the workbook
 Allow the group to make the case to and from for 10-20 minutes

Person 1 will make the case for change.

Person 2 will make the case for leaving things as they are.

Person 3 will be supportive and curious without agreeing to the change.

Scenario 1: Scenario 3:
Scenario 2:
Think of some good examples
Instead of having a cook on- Let’s change the PPE policy so
which may have occurred or
board we will replace them with that we don’t have to wear hard
could be happening in your own
a microwave hats
environment

4. Group Discussion

Bring the room’s attention back to you and start a discussion using the questions:
 How did the proposed changer look, feel, and sound when it was opposed? Did that have an impact on your
state of mind and how you continued the discussion?
 Are you more likely to come forward with a suggestion for change if ideas are routinely opposed or if they are
supported?
 The person opposing the idea was negative and focused mainly on personal comments, not the idea itself. How
did that feel and would their actions affect the way you would interact with them in the future?
 If you had flu and your state of mind was low, would it be a good idea to make major decisions?

SHARE THE SUMMARY

A negative attitude can adversely affect the team, lower morale and lead to poor decisions.
You can choose your attitude which can make a positive influence on the outcome.
 LOOKING AT SITUATIONS A DIFFERENT WAY

EXPLAIN THE KEY MESSAGE

Most of us have had a bad reaction to a situation
or person at some point in our lives, only to find EXPLAIN THE LINK TO SAFETY
out later we were wrong. During frustrating situations, being able to identify
when we are making assumptions rather than acting
The thoughts and assumptions we come up with on facts is important to help us have the right
to make sense of frustrating situations can have a reaction and the safest reaction.
negative impact on our views, our mood and our
reactions. Don’t ASSUME as it makes an ASS out of ‘U’ and ME!

This module uses the, ‘Challenge Questions’

technique to help us separate assumption from
fact for a better reaction.

EXPLAIN THE GOALS OF THIS MODULE

1 Understand that actively 2 Be aware that the thoughts and 3 Realise that we have a choice in
seeking the right information assumptions we come up with can affect how we respond or react in these
can positively affect safety our view of events and can distract us situations, and that we can use
behaviour ‘Challenge Question’ techniques
to find the best way forward

RUNNING THE EXERCISE

1. Share the following example of a situation where someone made assumptions.

Where are my binoculars? I always put them in the same place at the end of my watch.
I bet one of the watch keepers has moved them.
They are always losing their stuff and now my stuff too.
They have no respect for my things or me. I will never be able to replace them – they were a gift from my parents.
[Reflects back with a clearer view]
Oh, now I remember, I stored them in a different cupboard because of the heavy seas.

2. Explain the ‘Ladder’ concept (page 18 of their guide.) How we get from fact to decision/action.

It’s easy to become more frustrated about a situation the more we

think about it.

It’s as if you are climbing a ladder where each time you think about
what happened, you move up a rung and your level of frustration
increases.

Once at the top of the ladder your reaction may be based on

assumptions, incorrect conclusions and frustration rather than fact.
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 3. Relate the ‘Ladder’ back to the example you shared. Explain the thoughts at each step of the ladder.

I will never be able to replace these – they were a gift

from my parents
People have no respect for my personal equipment

Stuff always goes missing here

Someone must have moved them

I always put them back in the same place

Binoculars are missing

4. Introduce the ‘Challenging Questions’ technique (page 20 of their guide.) and how they could be used in the
example you shared.

Search for Other Explanations Put Thoughts into Perspective

Look for Evidence
Search for other explanations or Give your thoughts a reality check
Look for Evidence for and against
possibilities and focus on what you can do to
your thoughts
get through it

Assumption: I bet someone has Assumption: People have no Conclusion: I will never be able to
moved my binoculars respect for my personal things replace them – they were a gift
from my parents
Challenge – Is there any other Challenge – Am I jumping to
possible explanation? conclusions without looking at all Challenge – Is it as bad as I am
the facts? making out?

5. Individual Exercise
Ask participants to individually think of a time when they have found themselves in a similar situation. They should
keep the image of climbing the ladder in their mind. Some examples are given on page 22 of their guide.

6. Pair Exercise
Ask participants to get into pairs and share their examples with each other. Each pair should next pick one example
between them and fill in the thoughts at each stage of the ladder using the template (page 21 of their guide.)

7. Group Discussion
Ask for a volunteer to share their example. Next ask the group to discuss which ‘Challenging Questions’ they could
use if they were in this situation.

Ask the group if there is anything else they would do to stop their thoughts leading to negative conclusions and
actions. How might this improve safety on board?

SHARE THE SUMMARY

The thoughts and assumptions we come up with to make sense of frustrating situations can have a negative impact on our views,
our mood and our reactions. Using the, ‘Challenge Question’ technique can help us to look at the situation in a different way and
we will be more likely to have the right reaction and the safest reaction.
 TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

EXPLAIN THE KEY MESSAGE

You only have one body to live in and so it’s
important that you look after your physical, EXPLAIN THE LINK TO SAFETY
mental and spiritual needs. This is not just vital for ‘A man too busy to take care of his health is like a
you but for your family, friends and colleagues. mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.’

This module allows you to reflect on how well you Taking care of oneself, physically and mentally, is
are looking after yourself currently and look at the important for your safety and the safety of your
team. It impacts one’s ability to respond quickly and
options available to improve your health and
safely when things go wrong.
wellbeing. We will be using the “Wellbeing Wheel”
for achieving this.

EXPLAIN THE GOALS OF THIS MODULE

1 Understand that paying attention 2 When you care about yourself 3 Actively supporting each other
to one’s own physical, mental and you value your health and your at work to improve your own
spiritual needs helps to keep the safety much more. and colleagues health in turn
mind and body ready to deal promotes improved safety
things when they go wrong. behaviour.

RUNNING THE EXERCISES

1. Start a discussion by asking the following questions:

 What does taking care of yourself mean to you?

o Taking care of your family?
o Taking care of your team?

 Why is taking care of yourself important for your health:

o At home?
o At work?

 In what ways does being healthy help to keep you and others safe on-board?

Taking care of you puts your mind and body in a better position to cope and deal with things that go
wrong on board.

It is about taking care of your body allowing it to recharge and recover, spending time with loved ones,
allowing yourself to engage in pleasurable activities and recognising and paying heed to your mental,
emotional and spiritual needs and feelings.
2. Wellbeing Wheel

Where are you now?

 Ask the group to turn to page 25 and 26 in their guide
 On the scale of 1-5 ( where 1 is poor and 5 is the best they can be) ask them to
judge where they think they currently are in all the 8 areas
 Ask them to discuss with the group their scores if they feel comfortable to do so
o Were there any surprises?
o Have you considered your health before in this way?

Where would you like to be?

 Each person then decides what areas they would like to improve in
 Ask them to complete the table to decide how they will do this and what support they require
 Ask them to discuss with the group
o What difference would it make to me if I achieved this?
o What difference would it make to my family /colleagues/ friends if I achieved this?
 Together, agree a date when you will all come back together to see how far you have gone to reaching you
goals

What can we do together?

Working together to achieve a goal builds relationships and trust and helps you to communicate better. It
can also be a lot of fun. All of these are important not only in improving your health but also your safety as a
group.

 Ask them to look at the ideas for group activities on pages 29 and 30 of their guide.
 Discuss as a group the ideas
o Are they interested in any of them?
o How would we do this- what resources do we need, what time frame etc.
o Have we got any ideas of our own?
 Decide on an activity and set a team goal

Doing this exercise has allowed us to reflect on our current state of health and wellbeing and allows us to set
goals to improve our health and achieve better balance.

We can be more successful in achieving our goals if we support each other and work together.

SHARE THE SUMMARY

Make taking care of yourself a priority, as only you can take control of your health and wellbeing and you are
definitely worth it.

Appreciate that keeping ourselves fit and well is vital for our family and friends too and means we can have a long,
happy, safe and fulfilled life.
 TAKE DECISIVE ACTION

EXPLAIN THE KEY MESSAGE

Some situations we face are complicated and it can EXPLAIN THE LINK TO SAFETY
be hard to decide what to do and what action to When situations happen, it is important to take
take. This module provides a technique ‘Identifying decisive action. This can protect yourself, your team
Blockers’ to identify what is stopping you from and your vessel and prevent or limit damage.
making the decision so you can plan and take action
when situations occur.

EXPLAIN THE GOALS OF THIS MODULE

1 Making decisions results in 2 Realise that decision making should be a 3 Learn and practice the
positive action, and making mix of rational thought and gut feeling- ‘Identifying Blockers’ technique
the right decisions is BOTH are important to decisive action and improve
extremely important in safety.
making safe choices.

An every-day life example is buying a car. Imagine you are walking onto a parking lot full of used and new cars.
What makes you walk over to a particular car for a closer look? What makes you decide not to purchase the car?
What do you use to make a final decision?

“Heart” and “Gut Feeling” “Head”- Logic and Experience

 Colour  Price
 Something about the car just doesn’t seem right  Safety ratings
 It looks just like the one your uncle had that you  Size
loved as a kid!  Age of the car

RUNNING THE EXERCISE

1. Explain: Now we will look at a work related example situation where we would use both our head and heart/gut
feeling to make a decision (Page 32 in their guide).

2. Group Exercise (4-6)

A pump important to your operations has vibration levels that have trended upwards over the last few weeks,

but has not reached alarm status. Do you take action or take no action?

Ask the groups to decide if they would take action or take no action and write their reasons in the table under
the headings heart/gut feeling or head/logic.

3. Group discussion
 Did all the groups have decisions that were made using emotional and rational reasons?
 If there were things that made deciding action versus no action difficult, what were they?

Decisions are made using both head and heart/gut feelings. Both are very
important. Gut feelings tend to be quick and let you know that something may be
wrong but you also need to use your skills and experience to understand the
situation and take action.
 Here we are going to look at some common things that can get in the way and actually stop or block us from
making decisions. Then we will discuss ways to recognise when this is happening and what we can do about it.
The technique is called, ‘Identifying Blockers’.

4. Pair exercise
Ask participants to choose an example of a time when they had to take decisive action but found it difficult. They
can use their own example or an example from their guide on page 35. Participants should then fill out the
Blockers and Unblockers table using their chosen example (Page 36 in their guide).

5. Group discussion
Ask for a volunteer to share their example and ask the group to discuss what blockers might stop someone from
taking decisive action. What could someone do to overcome the blockers?

Sometimes it’s hard to make a decision and we create

blockers that stop us from doing so. It’s important to
identify what blockers are in place and ways to overcome
them.

BLOCKERS WAYS TO OVERCOME

 List the things that could go wrong, and what you will have in place if
Worry about what will do happen if
they do
the decision is incorrect

 Monitor for indications it is going off track so you can mitigate early

 Determine what information you do need and time frame to get it so

you can make the decision
There’s not enough information to
make a good decision  Determine if you can make the decision despite the uncertainty and
what would be the risk of that

 Determine the risk of not making the decision now but waiting for the
information

 Consider discussing the options with others, especially those who may
need to help you implement the results of the decision, as that way
Worried about looking like an idiot
you can test your ideas and also get buy in from those who matter
if the decision is wrong

 Should asking others been seen as a sign of strength rather than

weakness? Will it actually build respect and trust?

Ask the group how do you think taking decisive action will help us improve safety on-board? Can you think of any
situations you have been in where taking decisive action made a difference to your safety or the crew’s safety?

SHARE THE SUMMARY

Using the techniques we just practiced will help us take decisive action, ensuring that situations are dealt with safely and in a
timely manner. Our heart/gut feelings as well as our head/rational thinking are very important in decision making. Identifying what
is stopping us from making decisions and finding ways around is vital to respond to a situation in a timely and safe manner. This
improves safety behaviour and performance.