Part 6 of 6 of the Organizational Resilience Series
Our framework is based on academic research and in-house interviews with leaders across a wide range of industries (e.g., tech, medical, non-profit) conducted by LifeLabs Learning’s Impact Lead Joie Lim, M.S., who is developing specialized expertise in Organizational Resilience.
Summary: In this final installment of the Organizational Resilience blog series, we explore Bricolage—the ability to use what’s already available to solve problems creatively and efficiently. From repurposing products to redeploying talent, this skill separates adaptable companies from those that falter. With economic pressure continuing into 2025 and 42% of organizations reporting budget constraints as a barrier to innovation, Bricolage is now a business necessity.
There’s no question that businesses have had to do more with less in the last two or more years. Resources are scarce, budgets are strapped, and with all of the reductions in force, fewer people are available to do the same amount of work.
In fact, 42% of organizations report budget constraints as a significant barrier to innovation.
There’s a reason some companies have prevailed despite these limitations, however. This brings us to the sixth and final pillar of Organizational Resilience: Bricolage.
What is Bricolage in business?
Bricolage, a term coined in the art industry, refers to the ability to construct or create work from a diverse range of readily available media. In an organizational context, it means solving problems creatively and on the spot without waiting for ideal conditions or new investments.
Why Bricolage matters now more than ever
An SAS poll shows 97% of business executives believe organizational resilience is important; however, only 47% believe their business is resilient.
With global economic volatility, evolving AI disruption, and increasing employee expectations, organizational resilience today takes more than endurance; it takes resourcefulness. That’s where Bricolage steps in.
Bricolage can happen at the organizational and individual levels, so let’s dive into both.
Organizational Bricolage: Reimagining products & repurposing talent
1. Reimagine existing products
Resilient organizations constantly scan market conditions to understand their customers’ biggest current (or future!) pain points through market research and analysis (covered in Rapid Responsiveness). However, creating new products isn’t always possible, especially with limited resources. In most cases, making small adjustments to current products is a much lighter lift.
For example, Lego almost went bankrupt in 2003 because the market was saturated with new technology. While doing its best to keep up with the rapidly changing environment, Lego over-innovated and exhausted too many options.
To turn it around, Lego decided maybe it wasn’t as much about creating different shapes and sizes as it was about reimagining their already-established product. They redesigned their entire innovation strategy, which led to collaborations with the likes of Harry Potter and Star Wars, resulting in a record 19% growth in revenue to $5.21 billion in 2015.
Sometimes, it’s not about recreating the wheel but rather about reimagining what it could look like.
2. Repurpose existing talent
The last four years have been ripe with reductions in force (RIFs). Companies are relying on the bare essentials of talent to get them through, and primarily only hiring revenue-generating talent. Going through a RIF isn’t cheap. Aside from severance packages, Bloomberg investigated some indirect costs of layoffs and found they typically lead to reduced productivity, potentially resulting in a loss of $50,000 per month for every 100 remaining employees. Layoffs can also result in a higher resignation rate, and for companies with over 10,000 employees, replacing staff can cost upwards of $75 million.
That’s all to say: resilient organizations do what they can to mitigate these costs and hold on to their top talent.
For example, in 2020, when every business was in full crisis mode, LifeLabs Learning experienced underutilization, with more and more companies going through layoffs. Highly skilled facilitators had a lot more time on their hands, so the company used their skills to support revenue-generating activity: reviewing new products, editing blog articles, conducting market research, leading task forces on projects, and doing internal skill-ups for the team.
Additionally, LifeLabs offered facilitators part-time work, reducing its overhead while keeping its talent. So, when the market bounced back (and it did), the company had the resources it needed to deliver.
Individual Bricolage: Coaching teams to problem-solve
If you’re a manager, you can use the power of coaching to increase Bricolage on your team.
Coaching is a skill any manager can use to enable better thinking in their teams. When teams think more critically on their own, it frees up time for managers to work on the areas that impact the business the most.
If you’re unsure how to coach your teams, check out our Coaching Skills workshop – it provides a simple framework that can handle even the most complex challenges and is easily applicable in times of change and volatility.
Revisit the full Organizational Resilience Series
So, there you have it, the last pillar of Organizational Resilience!
Explore the full blog series here: Organizational Resilience Series →
>> Want to speak to a LifeLabs Learning consultant about bringing resiliency skills to your organization? Schedule a free 30-min L&D consultation call here!
FAQs:
What is organizational resilience?
Organizational resilience is an organization’s ability to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from disruptions while maintaining continuous business operations and growth. It includes agility, resourcefulness, and psychological safety.
How can leaders build resilience in their teams?
Leaders can foster resilience by modeling adaptability, creating clarity around priorities, coaching instead of directing, and celebrating small wins. Attending trainings like LifeLabs Learning’s Coaching Skills workshop can accelerate impact.
What is Bricolage in business strategy and why is it important for organizational resilience?
Bricolage is the creative use of existing resources—people, products, and processes—to solve problems and adapt quickly. It’s essential for resilience during times of scarcity.
How can leaders promote Bricolage on their teams?
Use coaching skills to foster autonomy and critical thinking. Encourage experimentation, celebrate creative solutions, and highlight small wins from reimagining existing assets.
Why is organizational resilience and Bricolage important in 2025?
Budget constraints, market uncertainty, and talent shortages are intensifying. Bricolage allows organizations to stay flexible and resourceful without overextending.
