What kind of uncertainty

If these are “uncertain times” for us, think about what kind of uncertainty is it for you. Uncertainty couldn’t be a blanket cover, one type or one size fits all ... could it?

It’s worth exploring uncertainty further so we aren’t just generalizing about it.

There is:

Uncertainty that is confusion.

Uncertainty that is lack of knowledge.

Uncertainty that is indecision.

Uncertainty that is doubt.

Uncertainty from not knowing or being unsure.

Uncertainty that is variability.

Or the ‘subject to change’ type of uncertainty.

Much gets gathered under the one label of uncertainty ...but getting greater fidelity could help. In meetings, conversations, presentations and packs of information, go a way further than listing the U of VUCA as a generic brand of uncertainty.

Go further to get more certain about uncertainty! 🤩 You’ll be known for greater clarity and help guide a team through doing better work.

Weaving it together

As information flows and bounces around, back and forth between people in a team, how are you helping to weave it all together?

These interlacing and interconnected threads of data, opinions, ideas and decisions need to be brought together. Not everyone sees what is obvious and not everyone is able to make the connections of information that help us make progress.

A key role for leaders in times of uncertainty and change is to make sense of what the heck is going on. Taking seemingly disparate threads and finding links, relevance and connections among and between them is part of that role of leadership.

Don’t let it happen via hope. accident or default. Because it may not happen at all.

Things can become more confusing and ambiguous when you believe it will just weave itself. Take an active role to thread, weave and connect information ... even if you think it’s obvious.

It helps ease the stress and uncertainty people may be feeling as it relieves a weight from our mind ... and our shoulders.

Make sense of what you can

It’s not possible to understand or make sense of everything ... you know, not everything! When we are understanding, learning and ‘connecting the dots’ about a situation over a period of time, we are making sense ... sense making.

We do it naturally and instinctively but we can also learn and focus on how to do more sensemaking better, sooner, quicker.

There is value and calm for us focusing on the stuff we can make sense of and to not worry so much about the rest... the chaos. As more information comes to hand about a situation, our sense of the situation grows. We know more. We make more sense. The chaos can become a little less chaotic perhaps.

We can’t know everything all at once. It kind of doesn’t work that way. We will see more and differently as more things come to light for us. There's no need to battle all the chaos, all the time.

Join me as we just make sense of the things we can, progressively, bit by bit.

What's going on and what do we need to do about it?

These 'two questions in one' can provide us with great focus and purposeful direction. 

They are a better agenda item than the general ‘update’ or ‘status report’. 

And they are questions that get the team gathering insights and learnings about what is actually happening... and then ...identifying, committing to and implementing actions directly related to the insights. 

They are questions that help us move from fear to action. 

And they are questions that are a part of sensemaking and decision making in times of great change and uncertainty. 

Rather than being paralyzed by fear, distracted or drawn down into endless details, or buried in a sand hill of denials, lift up.

Elevate yourself above all of the noise, activity and chaos and ask 
🌕 what's going on?
and 
🌕 what do we need to do about it? 

Whether you’re the leader of a team, the leader of a family, a partner in a relationship, part of a family, community, neighborhood, company or organisation ... take responsibility and accountability to find out what’s going on and then to commit to doing what you can about it. 

Map the steps

When you’re doing some new things with a team or project, it’s worth mapping out the steps so people get a sense of what’s going to happen.

This isn’t a table or list or spreadsheet - although they may hold some useful data about what needs to be done or supporting information that helps with decision making.

Sensemaking when things are unclear, unknown, uncertain or just new for people, requires us to do more than just write a few words, send a few emails or type a few messages.

All those words! Our brains are full already.

Just as a Google map shows us where we are and where we want to get to, we can use a map like that too. Include a few points like:

Here....

The path or steps to ...

There.

Add a few notes about what’s planned as you guide the team from one place... getting to that other place.

If you’ve got more of your team working remotely at the moment, don’t just rely on all the words or talking heads.

Show them a map they can keep referring back to ... later ... when they need to, when the words get lost and the talking heads are offline.