Undulating Uncertainty

In Part 1 of the "U" perspective in VUCA, Underlying Uncertainty, we explored how uncertainty is represented by our doubts - being in an unpredictable environment and feeling undecided. Now we move deeper into uncertainty - confronting untrustworthy behaviours and feeling unworthy.

U = Untrustworthy

During my times involved in mergers, acquisitions and restructures it is unfortunate that in the fight to be the one that doesn't lose out, human instinct to survive can lead to some extraordinary and nefarious behaviours. It led to me writing a short story in order for me to release the pent up trauma of being in and managing what I called 'Murders & Acquisitions'. Be aware when watching this presentation, although a number of concepts are still relevant, since this time, a major shift in organisation change management thinking, approaches and legal focus has occurred. It is more than rumour-filled dread - it is a serious mental health issue.

Certainly the last year has seen dramatic changes. The classification by the World Health Organisation of Burnout as a Disease, new workplace manslaughter laws in Australia and France having convicted corporate executives for collective moral and institutional harassment. Please refer to this concise and interesting article by Karen Ferris on Resilience - Three Reasons Why.

If it doesn't look right and you can't see anything wrong but it still doesn't feel right - pay attention! Our inductive reasoning is an amazing sphere of sense making drawing on our memories, experiences and deep seated values. Right and wrong are not black and white in uncertainty. It is hard to decide on a course of action in the mist of grey since physical and emotional wellbeing are at the seat of our decisions. It is imperative to take your instinct seriously when it 'pings' on particular conversations, ideas or growing awareness as our emotions become heightened in this state.

"We do not see, what we do not expect to see except in very rare circumstances."

Dave Snowden

Even if you are one of the few that sees the incongruity in something or someone, be careful you are not enveloped by the 'logic' of the majority that don't see it. You want to be directly in touch with the experience so that you can assess the reality of the situation. From there you have a choice in being honest with yourself and committed to being responsible for the actions you do or do not take.

Based on mutual trust and respect, honesty needs to reach a new level in dynamic and rapidly changing environments. Psychological safety and emotional intelligence are needed to nurture interpersonal relationships. It means the fear response that can generate defence/attack modes to justify a position moves into being a willing response to engage in a different way. There's a sense of calm that comes from standing in your truth and demanding transparency.

Are you able to recognise the emotions and navigate social conflict and deal with the personality differences and ethics within the organisations culture and practices? Part of your resilience resides in the relationships you forge. Finding your nexus within the organisation is very important as it means you understand not just the standard hierarchal lines of authority that currently exist but where you stand as part of the underlying Meridian or Ley lines that form across roles and teams. These informal connections, are in essence, the relationship lines that are a key channel of communication, subtle collaboration and important feedback loops.

Positioning yourself at the intersection of your relationship nexus in the organisation enables you to explore and collaborate more purposefully.

It's like becoming a "Human API", a description I like to embody, of being able to stand at an intersection without restraint and help others recognise they are all part of what is happening. Enabling complementary connections within the organisation is necessary to be resilient in the face of rapid and constant change as is investing in the cultural and social systems.

U = Unworthy

Deeply personal and professionally of great impact is the feeling of being unworthy. When you move from a highly structured environment to a free-wheeling loose system of connectedness there is a great sense of displacement. The borders become blurred, the rules are no longer stable, the direction fuzzy and all those skills that you had can seem non-sensical.

I use these terms broadly as we interpret these states differently. I moved from a highly structured military environment to one where we could be inventive, creative and artistic in the way in which we interpreted the core requirements to achieve the goal! I adore this artistic way of working and each region I worked in required a different cultural approach. But the lesson learned, quite potently, was in my first move to another completely different geographic location. I was over constrained, like putting a leash on a cat, but expecting it to behave like a dog on a leash. It's a rarity to find a cat that won't just lay down to be dragged or fight like a demon to get the leash off! A behaviour analogy I've seen time and again in some teams by the burden some organisations place on them.

I went from being in the top six sales people internationally to almost bottoming out! It scared the crap out of me and nearly cost me my job. My past success, which was substantial, no longer had any traction. "I lost the plot". My self-doubt and feeling no longer worthy of the role severely impacted and compounded the issue. I thought I would be fired for poor performance or have to quit - neither of which has ever happened in my career but the very thought of either was a tailspin! This feeling of not being of worth severely impacts your focus on self care which is the death of resilience. It's an important lesson, so remember you only ever assess a situation on how you've already decided you think you will act.

Listen, explore, guide & give space for your people to become who they hope to be!

There were a number of phone calls during those few months with my boss, the head of international sales and eventually the MD/CEO & founder of the organisation - all of who were geographically elsewhere. My saving grace was the intense belief they had in me as a person and the recognition I had the capability, even if that required some adjustment. They listened to me, explored all the aspects with me, gave me the freedom to make mistakes as long as I continued to keep our conversations honest, open and to learn and adjust based on both their guidance and the experiences of practicing different ways of working. Being good with people" or having "people skills" is too broad a phrase. Working in multi-faceted, fast paced environments trying to keep up with today's economics needs deeper focus on being human, not just the wonders of technology advancements.

This organisation is a long-term thinker, nurturing their staff, and I tentatively use the word 'inculcating', but at the same time ensuring that each person is able to be part of how the organisation develops as an entity - one with a soul that holds experience (both customer and employee) as a dynamic beating heart. There is no doubt that, if it wasn't for other circumstances that called me away to another location where they were not, I would have continued with them.

This is not just endurance but sustainability! This is building resilience! This is creating and living in a culture of psychological safety where no topic is tabu, no emotion or behaviour is unaddressed. Where there is no stigma of mental health, where they invest actively in the skills and capability of their people.

Having both leaders, managers and, in my strong belief, every person in an organisation developing their skills in emotional intelligence, connectedness, knowledge sharing, possibility discovering and realising potential is necessary if organisations are to be sustainable in a VUCA world!

Ready to embrace being uncertain?

The good news is there are many approaches, methods and techniques you can learn to mitigate and/or reprogram your response and influence those around you. Start by looking at evolving your skills in areas such as Emotional Intelligence, Creative and Innovative Thinking, Relationship Agility and Resilience Building. Within all of us is the capability and potential to harness and redirect our energy to becoming stronger, more adaptable and face uncertainty with courage.

But hoping the learning will kick in at the time is not enough. You need to hone your skills in this everyday! Heck, you've made it this far right?! So remember and think about the times when you were resilient. Explore how you were resourceful and when you weren't sure - reach out, you are not alone and you can ask for help!

1. What heuristics (loosely defined rules) can you recognise in your environment that give you a sense of power to walk through uncertainty?
2. Do you recognise, acknowledge and manage the emotions you are experiencing in the moment?
3. How are you increasing the capability of your people to adapt to working in an uncertain environment?
4. Leading requires your humanity - are you connecting with trust?
5. How are you contributing to a Psychological Safe environment?
6. Are you paying attention to the necessity and legalities of work place mental health?

Walking in the unknown is not easy for most. Consider the intensity of the change. These factors are dependent on a comparative perspective.

Think of three times in your life and explore the level and type of uncertainty you have experienced and how you use your safety programming to uproot uncertainty and lead people through it.

Surprise! I still don't have an answer for all your questions but happy to explore them.

Build resilience within yourself and your team. Be enabled to walk in uncertainty with courage and excitement about the adventure ahead.

I'd love it if you'd share your uncertainty experiences and how this article made you feel.

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Simone Jo Moore is affectionately known as the Human API and a powerhouse innovative mixologist. As a Top 25 Thought Leader, Simone combines her background in HR, Organisational Change and complementary health with her technology profession for a deep leadership experience. The focus is on building resilience in a VUCA world through ensuring a focus on connecting the human-to-human, emotional intelligence and artificial intelligence.

Passionate about probing the hearts and minds of what makes business and IT tick and jumpstart people’s thinking to evolve behaviour and actions at any level, Simone works with four key principles that are active values - People connected, knowledge shared, possibilities discovered and potential realised.

Like to have Simone work with your organisation? A speaker at your next event? Even a coaching session or workshop/training then come explore with Simone here.

Time to become a mixologist and understanding that to be creative and innovate takes more than imagination, it takes synergy between professions and practices.