Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Melany Gallant for Halogen Software’s TalentSpace blog. To read the complete article, check out others, learn more about the firm, and sign up for email alerts, please click here.

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San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG) is a global leader in connecting people to wildlife and conservation. This Halogen customer is also incredibly successful at creating a culture where employees love their jobs and are inspired to high performance.

You might be wondering, “Well, how did SDZG do it?”

In short: by recognizing that people matter most. You see, leaders at SDZG knew that a focus on cultural transformation, alignment, and engagement would help them to create lasting organizational resiliency.

That journey to organizational resiliency is chronicled in Roar: How to Build a Resilient Organization the World-Famous San Diego Zoo Way.

The book is co-authored by Sandy Asch — an internationally recognized speaker and author — and Tim Mulligan CHRO for SDZG. Featuring real-world stories, best practices, and strategies based on 100 years of exceptional leadership, Roar chronicles how the San Diego Zoo created a resilient culture, and offers insight into how other organizations can also adopt these best practices.

SDZG is a longtime Halogen customer, and so we asked Tim a few questions about Roar and how other organizations can adopt some of the best practices shared in the book.

Why did you decide to write a book about San Diego Zoo Global’s high-performance culture?

I’d wanted to write a book for a while now highlighting the many cool people practices and programs we have put in place here at San Diego Zoo Global, and show the world another side of our organization.

I think that when people hear “San Diego Zoo” they automatically think of our animals, plants and conservation work, but we have really made a name for ourselves in the past decade or so as a true employer of choice — and I wanted to share that journey.

Also, it made sense to write this book in conjunction with our Centennial Celebration Year in 2016 and chronicle how we have remained successful, relevant, and as the book title reflects, resilient. It all prompted a great partnership with my co-author Sandy Asch. Sandy’s been working on a resiliency concept and model. She’s has done much work with us at the Zoo. It all just clicked together perfectly.

What does it mean to build a “resilient organization?” Why is it important?

It’s about a better way to work and to lead. In the book, we introduce “The Resilience at Work” model, which combines tried and true concepts such as emotional intelligence, wellness, time management, strong communications, and mindfulness (a practice that helps one to maintain relaxed, focused attention).

These core concepts — when coupled with honest communication grounded in transparency and vulnerability — offer a roadmap to cultivate resilience in any organization, team or family unit of any size. The model is about developing in yourself and others a sense of purpose, belonging, and connection, as well as the courage and conviction necessary to make resilience a priority

The Resilience at Work model serves as a paradigm to reimagine the way we go about our jobs. It can help a team or organization meet its goals and objectives, and at the same time, safeguard your employees’ quality of life.

When each of these competencies is systematically integrated into the organization’s culture, they foster a toolset that allows employees to thrive, which can be very difficult in these disruptive times.

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Melany is a Certified Human Capital Strategist and the Halogen Software blog manager responsible for coordinating our authors’ posts and providing social media insight as it relates to HR strategy and organizational objectives. For the Halogen blog, Melany writes about tips and best practices for driving employee motivation, performance and development. She is a total book nerd and a die-hard fan of her family and chocolate.