How to Skillfully Navigate Uncertainty

One week after a tragic evening in Paris I arrived on the first leg of a business trip to Helsinki. Months ago I had decided to stop over in Paris and treat myself to a day at the Musée d'Orsay. I had no idea that such a horrific event would occur when I booked the trip.

Then again, how could I have known?

I worked with the question: should I go or cancel? I found myself in a situation where unskillful responses would ruin my trip, and possibly set me up for not performing at my best at an important speaking engagement in Finland.

A mix of uneasy emotions forced me to use a problem-solving technique called dialectical thinking. This approach allowed me to look at all of the possibilities (danger versus safety). It helped me recognize that there will always be uncertainty, and that the rewards outweighed the risks in this situation.

Choosing the Right Decision-Making Process

We all have the power to make skillful decisions in response to volatile, uncertain, complex, or ambiguous situations. Below are some examples of people I coached through some emotionally murky waters.

Sarah works in a cutthroat sales department. She’s in constant fear of losing her job. She reads into comments and emails with a negative lens. Her anxiety is affecting her performance – and her overall wellbeing. I walked her through a set of questions to help her calm down and focus on the task at hand - not the unknown.

1. Does worry help? You might think I am being facetious. I am not. I mean that question sincerely. Asking yourself, “Is this thought helpful?” might trigger a more effective response than worry.
2. Is there anything within your purview to act upon that will help? If so, do that and do it to your best effort. At the very least you will know you took positive action.
3. Do you recognize that some things are out of your control? If yes, then focus on a more calming thought, practice deep breathing, or go for a walk. Fretting and ruminating will only give you a false sense of control.

Martin gets angry with his lazy co-workers. His chronic dissatisfaction has created tension in the office, and left him drained. Quitting seems to be the only logical solution. I suggested to Martin that he try a three-stage process to respond effectively and skillfully to future triggers:

1. Acknowledge your anger. Don’t ignore your own truth. It’s more than reasonable to be upset with ineffective co-workers.
2. Turn your anger into positive action. Ask yourself, “What can I realistically influence?” Or, “How can I be most effective at impacting situations that are important and worthwhile?”
3. Incline your mind towards peace and quiet. Making choices when we’re agitated can lead to snap-judgment decisions that ultimately are not in our best interest. When we cultivate calm in the moments of chaos, we often make better and more skillful choices.

Need Help Navigating Uncertainty?

In the coming weeks, I'll post video responses to peoples' questions about change management. Post your question in the comments, or tweet me at @CoachElad.

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How we manage ourselves informs how we lead… on every level. Stress, frustration, and burnout from an increasingly complex, ever-changing business environment can lead to poor decision-making, strained relationships, and weakened mental and physical health. These are ruinous to thriving in a competitive landscape.

Thriving on Change integrates the necessary proven-effective skills, tools, and practices to ensure leaders expertly respond to uncertainty, conflict, and inevitable distraction. Unlike other leadership development courses, this program is delivered in bite-size chunks, designed to enlist all of your learning faculties.