While we talk about Resilience, its about 2 aspects – absorbing the  negative effect or recovering quickly from it

1.Maintain diversity and Redundancy

Dont put all your eggs in one basket.

The farmers growing different variety of crops to sustain harvesting in all seasons, or a company that has multiple systems supporting same services. Either case, it safeguards the system from a disturbance at any one point.  One system compensating the loss of another, redundancy acts as a way of insurance. Systems with many different components are more resilient than the ones with fewer components.

2.Maintain connectivity / Modularity

Connectivity & modularity are often misinterpreted while applying resilience. Connectivity can be good and bad. A system well connected will help you recover easily from any disruption. Connectivity is required, but creating tight dependency with connectivity isn’t good. The loss of electricity across the eastern USA and Canada in 2003(Source: NY Times) was a result of a tightly connected system failing. Modularity is wherein one failure point isnt bringing down the entire system.

3. Manage Slow variables & Feedback

Slow variables are factors that change very slowly in response to your long-term processes. For a slow variable, we will have a counter-action for it. Feedbacks are the connectors between these variables. They can either reinforce the positive parts or change the effects of slow variables.

For eg. Ensure proper monitoring and of slow variables. Build a governance mechanism to monitor and make necessary changes while nearing thresholds.

4. Polycentric Governance – A governing system in which multiple governing bodies interact – can help support collective action in times of change but it is also vulnerable to tensions between actors and institutions involving wide range of stake holders. The goal is in striking a balance between openness and mandates for decision making.

5. Continuous Learning 

One of the key components in Resilience is adaptability, and an adaptive management, adaptive process is achieved through continuous revision of governance, activities, and knowledge. Process shall be laid out to ensure the team at all levels engage in a continuous knowledge revision wherein they try out new techniques, process, alternate ways to reach their goal.