Guest Posts | 5 min

Dealing with uncertainty: two tips in two minutes

Wendy Woods

on 18 September 2020

Dealing with uncertainty: two tips in two minutes

We recently asked a number of you what you wanted to hear about from us, and you said you wanted to hear more about dealing with uncertainty.

This isn’t surprising given our current economic, social and organisational contexts where we’ve been facing more uncertainty than ever before due to COVID-19. And the brain absolutely hates uncertainty. Typically, when thinking about the future, it conjures up the worst-case scenarios.

So how do you deal with situations that are uncertain?

One tip is to first work out what you do have control over, and what you don’t have control over. So for example, some things you probably don’t have control over might be:

the speed of the spread of the pandemic,
government activity and decisions,
the economy, and
what’s happening in your workplace.

Those are out of your control and aren’t worth wasting time or energy worrying about. Instead, focus on what is in your control. For you, that might be:

creating a routine that works best for you,
making sure that you reach out to family, friends or co-workers to get the support you need while you’re working from home, or
creating a good workspace.

It could be any number of different things, but it’s really about determining what you do have the ability to influence or change, and taking that control back.

You see, when we focus on the things that we can’t control, often it makes us feel helpless or like a victim. When we focus on the things that we can control, we engage with a change.

So, one way of engaging with the change is to focus on where you do have control and put your energy into that.

Another tip that comes from David Rock of the Neuro Leadership Institute is to go for clarity and not certainty. And what does he mean by that? Think of the scenarios where you can get clear on what your actions might be or how you could deal with them and focus on that. For example, what if things get better, what would you do? What if things don’t get better? What if they are somewhere in between? What does that mean for you? Anticipating thinking about it, and considering your response allows you again to engage with the change.

Intrigued? Watch my short two minute video to find out more.

About the Author

Wendy Woods is an international executive leadership coach based in Toronto, Canada. She works with disruptors, innovators, and visionaries who want to step up their leadership, prepare for difficult situations and maintain a strategic focus. Wendywoodscoaching.com

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Dealing with uncertainty: two tips in two minutes

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