“Mental toughness is frequently used to refer to any set of positive attributes that helps a person to cope with difficult situations.”

According to a study published at ResearchGate, the term mental toughness has long been used in Sport Psychology. The term is defined as having a natural or developed psychological edge that enables oneself (athlete) to generally cope better than their opponents in a competition, training, or lifestyle. Given its benefits, mental toughness is not only necessary for a sports team but also critical for employees in an organisation.  

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Mental toughness study case at workplace 

The traits of mental toughness include self-belief, desire/motivation, dealing with pressure and anxiety, focused, as well as pain-hardship factors – meaning that mental toughness is the capacity for an individual to deal effectively with stress, pressures, and challenges at workplace, while being able to perform well irrespective of the circumstances. 

MTQ48 study did an experiment with 9 leadership consultant. The study examines the leaders’ performances such as client meetings, workshops, coaching sessions and group facilitation. There are also several interventions introduced like attentional control, visualisation, and self-talk techniques. Participants who have completed the MTQ48 test were then introduced to one or more of the intervention techniques before and/or during performances for the duration of two months. The result showed that the training has helped leaders develop better relationships with others and become more organised and more productive in meeting as well as having more confidence in all areas. 

Enhancing employees mental toughness 

As mental toughness is important for employees, it is essential for HR leaders to help employees develop and maintain their mental perseverance. By doing so, employees will have an easy time when faced with difficult or stressful situations. The only aspect of developing mental toughness is through implementing specific mental skills. There are three essential mental skills, according to Gobinder Gill, which can be broken down into the following points. 

• Teaching employees to start with the right attitude and state of mind, for example, know what the core confidence of employees is all about. 
• Helping employees program their mind for success ahead of time with positive affirmations and expectations 
• Developing the behaviours of positivity, confidence, and determination more routine 
• Poise and composure: learning how to let go of mistakes quickly if things do not go the way you want 
• Helping employees take control of their negative self-talk by reframing employees’ thinking into positive task-oriented suggestions 
• Asking employees to embrace failure and use it as a stepping stone for future achievement 

Read also: Nicer Employees Afflict More to Mental Health Illness