There is always some level of uncertainty that we have to deal with, both in our personal and professional lives.
And it’s not all bad. Sometimes the uncertainty makes things more interesting.
Personally, I don’t want to know the exact details of what I’ll be doing in 10 years’ time, to be able to control everything and have no obstacles along the way. Where’s the fun in that?
Success feels better when you know you were able to overcome a challenge or two to get to where you are. And things can work out even better than you initially hoped.
But sometimes the uncertainty is related to more serious consequences. It could be something that is significantly impacting your livelihood or safety, something completely unwanted or externally imposed. You could lose your position as part of a restructure, receive a scary diagnosis or experience war.
So, what do you do when everything seems to be going wrong? Three things.
Start by having a good whinge, cry, scream, whatever. It’s OK to be upset or scared and it’s healthy to vent.
Then, the very next thing to do (in your own time, of course) is to figure out what you can and can’t control. This is key.
Finally, focus your efforts on what you can control. It’s really all you can do.
This will mean different things in different situations but it all boils down to the same principle:
By focusing on what you can control, you build readiness for the things you can’t.
When I was a refugee back in the ‘90s at age 16, after the initial scare of it all and once I was away from immediate danger, I realised that my number one job was to continue with my education. This way, I could still hope to have a career and a normal life once the war was over.
It was all I could do. I couldn’t stop the war, but I could prepare myself for what came next.
And I use my learnings from that time in my client work today.
When I’m in a strategic planning or risk workshop, the topic of control often comes up.
“How can our organisation ensure a particular outcome when so much is outside of our control?”
You can find ways to increase your influence. Build better relationships with your stakeholders so that they are more likely to listen to your advice.
You can be more proactive by developing a clear plan of where you want to go and by considering possible obstacles to increase your chances of success.
“How can we successfully implement our strategies when new things are often added to our plate?”
You can be clear on your purpose and vision so that you can challenge new opportunities against them or find other ways to achieve alignment.
You can be on top of your known work and track performance to understand what’s working. Being organised also means that you can show the trade-off that will need to be made to change the plan.
You can take an agile approach to your work so that you create multiple value points as you progress through your plan. This way, even if some things aren’t fully finished when your plan changes, you are adding value to your stakeholders along the way.
Thanks for taking the time to read the post.