In the land of now and next

In the land of now... and next

What was relevant then may not be now. 
What is relevant now may not be next. 
And what is relevant next may not even be in our field of vision or realm of possibility right now. 

This is the pace of change. 
And we can adapt. We are adapting. 
It’s quite amazing what we humans can and are doing. 

We can find connections between what we are able to do and what the world needs next. 

So how are you remaining relevant?

Thinking and working in uncertainty

It’s mindless to just wander, lost, meandering along a path of uncertainty. Just because you don’t know what’s going to happen doesn’t mean you are powerless.

Some of the most adaptable leaders, teams and organisations work with uncertainty and are ‘good’ with it.

The work I do with these leaders and teams involves working through this kind of mindset and approach: ◽️Uncertainty - we don’t know

◽️Discovery - we can learn

◽️Ingenuity - we can respond

And repeat. As we see new things - via sensemaking, making sense of happenings in hindsight - we’re learning, ready to respond with our collective smarts to solve problems, deliver value and improve situations.

And repeat.

This isn’t fear based but practical skills put to work problem solving, thinking, questioning, collaborating, designing and responding.

Rather than getting in a flap about not knowing ‘anything’ or thinking we need to know ‘everything', these are the ways of working in uncertainty. As we discover, we learn and we can change how we respond. And if we don’t, we’re not such a smart species after all.

Don’t let the minimisers drag you down

You’ve information to share, a cool idea or suggestion for something. So you launch it out there into the meeting, the workshop, the room or the conversation. And it floats down softly over everyone, flip ... zip... zop ... like a leaf falling from a tree. 

Someone catches it, backing you up or validating you, reinforcing what you said. Good. Your contribution has been acknowledged.

But then it comes, the grey cloud (no it's snappier), the fly swatter (no it’s more powerful) ... the big boulder.

It’s a Slap. Down.

This is the minimiser, reducing what you said, deflating, downplaying, trivializing. Using criticism, dismissal, or patronizing techniques they be-little. So they can be-big.

When you’re leading a meeting you MUST tune in to this behaviour and moderate or mediate it. They may not realise they're doing it, the killjoys and party poopers.

Minimizing can be a habitual way of thinking, a way of seeing the world, pointing out problems, cautioning and keeping things as they are, under control. Don’t let it drag you down.

Gather the validators and supporters you heard from earlier and continue to advance your idea.

Illegitimi non carborundum

Currents, turbulence and disturbed air flows

We often expect things to be smooth and uninterrupted. I heard a driver shout ‘get out of my way’ to a fellow road user this morning.

It’s a complaint of our time, always expecting a clear path. But not every cruise can be on calm seas; not every flight is entirely smooth. Weather patterns clash and collide and we travel through so much airspace that we’re bound to encounter different situations.

This is most certainly the case in our diverse workplaces and communities. It happens in teams, in projects … even in meetings. We have a rich mix of styles, types, modes, preferences and behaviours. All colliding. And we need to be able to make progress with them, not against them.

What’s going on in your team or project may not be permanent. It may just be a passing current, passing weather, a ripple or ruffle from something else. Don’t be too quick to smooth it.

In becoming better facilitators of processes and people, we can learn how to go with currents. Just like a rip in the ocean or at a surf beach, fighting it is tiring, pointless, dangerous. Going with it usually takes you to another exit point, another way of exploring it, solving it and surviving it.

Waiting until the facts are in

In times of crisis, smart leaders in customer-focused organisations know they can't wait for all the facts. Not ALL. They need to act based on what they know.

The same thing can apply in our work, business, as entrepreneurs, leaders, team members. Being in the red zone, waiting and hesitating, not doing anything until we know more is fine… to a point. But how much MORE do you need? At what point will you go with what you’ve got? What are you expecting will come along that WILL make you feel like you’re good to go?

It’s usually better to get started when you have a few facts, ‘enough’ to get going. Then you can adapt - green zone - as more information becomes available.

This ability and willingness to be more in the amber zone of acting with some knowledge, is part of newer ways of working. It means we respond and adapt when more information comes in, when more things are known.

For many it certaintly IS a new way of thinking and working. It’s about working in uncertainty and in a changing environment, to put perfect or expectations of perfect aside. It’s time to act… and adapt as things change.