Thriving in uncertainty - a reading list.

"Do more with less."

"Remove the bottlenecks."?

"Transform."

"Adapt."

"Collaborate without compromise."?

"Re-energize our teams."

I’ve observed a repeatable pattern in navigating these types of challenges in our work over the last few years. If I categorized the steps that get us to action each time, it would go something like this:

• Sense-Making
• Gathering
• Collaborating
• Organizing
• Doing

With this in mind, here’s a short list of some of great books I’ve curated to help individuals and teams consider and then navigate uncertain situations.

Sense-Making

How do we make sense of our complex world?

Confronting the Storm by David Ross.

Why has seemingly everything blown up at once, and what can we do about it? I haven’t read any better explanation for what’s going on and how we can learn to thrive in uncertainty than what David serves up here. It’s an energizing read; his regeneration framework is deep, warm, and doable.

How do we make sense of any challenge it throws up?

How to Make Sense of Any Mess by Abby Covert.

WTF is going on, and how do I sort it out? Abby Covert is the ultimate guide here. Seven on-the-level steps from chaos to resolution. I bring this book everywhere with me.

Gathering

How can I show up?

Confronting Our Freedom by Peter Koestenbaum and Peter Block.

If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that we deeply value our freedom and sense of agency. But what is it? What does it mean to be the agent of our own experience? What is anxiety, and why does it arise? Who are we accountable to? Nothing I’ve ever read has helped me understand myself so well as this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. This was a life changer in that it provided so much clarity.

How can we show up?

The Power of Giving Away Power by Matthew Barzun.

Power can be created and held between the many, not the few, unleashing more energy and bigger achievements. I like combining Peter Block’s book (above) with this one. Where Block helps us understand and act on our agency, Barzun shows that we can do that and successfully collaborate. This is at the heart of Interdependence - where my freedom doesn’t give me the right to impinge on yours (or visa versa). Barzun explores the social contract that allows us to co-exist and collaborate to thrive in uncertainty - without compromising our independence.

Collaborating

How do we collaborate?

Strategic Doing by Ed Morrison, Scott Hutcheson, et al.

Strategic Doing outlines a set of simple steps that allow everyone to climb out from behind their beliefs or opinions without fear or compromise to collaborate and act in support of a shared aspiration. It’s an incredibly simple yet powerful method.

How do we plan for collaborative transformation?

Transformative Scenario Planning by Adam Kahane.

What’s the plan? Adam Kahane has navigated all sorts of heavily complex and highly charged challenges, and he’s got the plan. Seven straightforward steps for convening, designing, and delivering a transformation. (I’ve tried it, and it works). Another one that's in my bag wherever I go.

Organizing

How do we organize ourselves collectively to realize our potential?

Work with Source by Tom Nixon.

We often hear that “ideas are the easy part.” Work with Source takes us into the parts that aren’t so easy but in a very uncomplicated and logical way. There’s value, motivation, and accountability for everyone in this framework.

How do we design adaptive organizations?

Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan.

What the Business Model Canvas did for innovation the open-source Brave New Work OS Canvas does for organizations. How can we spin up and spin down teams and enable the kinds of workplaces where people thrive, and organizations prosper? By acknowledging individual agency and collective interdependence (spot a trend? ref. Block and Barzun above!) and having a framework for designing energized, accountable, self-managing teams.

Doing

Innovation as a way of work.

Zone to Win by Geoffrey Moore.

EVERYONE innovates. All work is innovative. Sometimes, teams need help understanding their business impact or strategy or how to classify or account for their different types of work. Zone to Win resolves this. Every manager should gift themselves at least a passing understanding of it.

Design

Design a Better Business by Justin Lokitz & Patrick van der Pijl et al.

There are a gazillion great design books out there, but for today's purpose I'm going to choose Design a Better Business by Justin Lokitz and Patrick van der Pijl. It has many practical and simple open-source tools that help you move from observation to understanding to action.

I partner with some excellent pros in all these spaces, and together, we help individuals and teams with the tricky challenges they aren't typically trained to resolve. We help people reframe problems as opportunities and discover new ways to grow.

We are always up for a conversation!