Navigating change amidst uncertainty

It's fair to say we are amidst a load of uncertainty yet again, and so I wanted to dedicate this edition of Career Journeys to the subject of navigating change and uncertainty.

I remember reading a quote years ago which really stuck with me. It was at a time in my life I was going through HUGE change and transition, and I remember reading it and feeling almost reassured by it.

"Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security"?-?John Allen Paulos

Career Journeys blends my own experiences with tips and techniques... so here it goes.

It's fair to say I have been through a fair bit of change in my life, (I know we all have, especially these past few years). I have lost four amazing friends the same age as me, been through two redundancies, one sudden job lay-off in the middle of a stressful divorce, a new business set up....

I kind of lost myself over the years and then had to find myself all over again.

So I would like to give some tips around what has helped me, as well as tips from training others to lead and navigate through change.

1- Remember how you have dealt with change and uncertainty in the past.

Recognise that there are various different types of change, from predictable to unpredictable, voluntary to involuntary. Think about health, relationships, careers, redundancy, relocating.... remember how you have dealt with change in the past and what you put in place to cope.

2- Be aware of your emotions

When change enters your life, the change cycle begins.??Because all change affects you at emotional, behavioural and mental levels, understanding your feelings, behaviours and thoughts become a vital tool in assisting you to take personal responsibility for the changes you face.?The Change Curve is?a great model that can help us understand and deal with change and personal transition. It helps us navigate how we react to the change and how to provide support to others.?

It is important to understand we do not move along the stages in a linear direction – we may even go back and return to a previous stage after a certain point in time. Each stage can last for a different time period, and it is possible to get stuck in a particular stage.?

Consider:?What reactions have you seen??

Which reactions do you find easier to deal with??

Which ones are more challenging??

3- Mindset is key. Our thoughts empower or disempower us.

We have on average 60,000 thoughts per day. Not all of them are helpful and we tend to ruminate on negative, repetitive thoughts. Neuroscience shows that 'neurons that fight fire together, wire together', so the first thing is to be aware of your thoughts. Your thoughts affect your feelings and subsequent behaviours.

4- Focus on what you can control.

If you are concerned that your role could be made redundant, start being proactive now. Do not wait - get your CV up to date, start being more proactive with your network, start or continue to build your personal brand, consider development areas and take steps to upskill in areas you would like to improve.

5- Gain and build perspective.

Acknowledge the change, consider why it happened, and talk it through with someone - a friend, partner or colleague. You could also think big- consider the bigger picture, it can help make it feel less daunting.

"Don’t focus on the mountain, focus on the first few steps to get you there."

6- Practise gratitude

For me, journaling helped me navigate a difficult time and make some choices to make positive changes. I found that journaling each day helped me see patterns and trends in terms of my energy and joy, as well as jotting down three things that I was grateful for. To me, this practice helped me to really put things into perspective and also to treasure the little things that made me happy.

7- See challenges as opportunities.

Given the situation, what challenges does it present and what opportunities could this bring?

This could be a great time to try something new. To test the water, learn a new skill, try a new career path, change industry, or take a contract role whilst you consider your next step... there is nothing to say that you have to jump straight into a job search looking for exactly the same as you did before.?

8- Seek Support

When times are uncertain or challenging, having a great support network is key and has helped me massively. There were times in my personal life and my professional life where I felt so isolated and alone, but now I have a beautiful support network in terms of friends and fellow awesome coaches and business owners- it kinds of helps me ride the waves of change together.

If you are a manager or leader navigating redundancy and would like support, you do not have to feel isolated - feel free to join my private Redundancy Retreat Community, a private LinkedIn group for more regular doses of support. I post motivational Mondays, well-being Wednesdays, job search tips, accountability posts and support with answering questions. I also deliver live webinars.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/9158090/

If you are an organisation and would like training and coaching support for your staff, I proudly offer the following services:

Career Transition Support: #DoRedundancyRight

Redundancy Consultation and a range of Outplacement services, including group workshops, 1-2-1 coaching and career coaching clinics. Leading & Navigating Change and uncertainty training.

Career Development Support:

My new Emerging Leaders Programme is introduced to up-skill and empower your leaders in this modern-day world of work. I also offer Career Development Conversations training for leaders and Taking Control of your Career workshops for employees.

Business Update from Team Penny HQ

I like to give updates on what I am up to, the highs and lows of business ownership. I love coaching and training, but running a business does have it's highs and challenges!

The highs:

Working with an awesome company to deliver outplacement to their UK employees. Several careers workshops plus 1-2-1 coaching for their staff.

Amazing 1-2-1 clients all starting new jobs and also feeling far more confident in their career, supporting their leadership skills and mindset, it has been wonderful to see.

I attended a course on busting limited beliefs - busted a few of my own along the way too and have new techniques to help my clients reframe and thrive.

The challenges:

Working from home with my son home with concussion most of last week, then my daughter home with covid symptoms (she found a crystal making set and got hot pink dye ALL over the floor, walls, and on her legs and feet - and mine ! Gosh we were covered! The summer holidays haven't even started!

My wi-fi not reaching my new home office, so I am back inside, but I am on a mission to sort it by the end of this week.

So that's a wrap.

You've got this!

I've got this!

We've so totally got this!