Judith Rodin to aid workers: Think like a chief resilience officer

The transformation of Medellín, Colombia, once the drug and murder capital of South America, into a thriving urban center is one example of the power of resilience-building capacity. Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation and author of “The Resilience Dividend,” sat down with Devex Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar recently to discuss the example of Medellín and offer advice for development professionals on how to work resilience into their thinking. “They ought to think like a chief resilience officer,” Rodin said in reference of staff working at each of the locations that are part of The Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Challenge. A chief resilience officer’s role is to look at every investment across all sectors through a resilience framework, Rodin explained. There are five characteristics development professionals should think about folding in to what they do: 1. Capacity for situational awareness. 2. Building in diversity. 3. Integration. 4. Self-regulation. 5. Adaptability. Watch this clip to find out why each characteristic can help an aid professional think more strategically about their current work. How could you become more like a chief resilience officer in your current job? Share your ideas by leaving your comments below. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or budding development professional — check out more news, analysis and advice online to guide your career and professional development, and subscribe to Doing Good to receive top international development career and recruitment news every week.