Let me start with a confession: I’m curious about uncertainty because I either wrestle with it myself or I support others who are challenged by it. Since the beginning of humankind, the unknown, dark and mysterious have made people anxious. The inescapable paradox is that only by facing it and going through uncharted territory can we be genuinely innovative and create growth. Furthermore, the more we grow, the more ambiguity and unfamiliarity show up. We are on an endless daunting journey through self-development and novelty.

With this in mind, building a set of skills that allows you to be comfortable with the unknown is an important characteristic of aspiring directors. What does it consist of, though?

Learner’s Mindset

Instead of expecting that you will know all the answers, lean into learning. Organizations these days are in a state of flux and the ever-increasing rapid pace of change becomes particularly demanding. Thus, it’s absurd to expect to have immediate answers to all questions. Instead, strive to demonstrate how quickly you learn and adapt to a dynamic world. There are three pillars to a learner’s mindset: passion, curiosity and empathy.

Empathy shows up whenever you normalize the situation of not knowing and stop undervaluing yourself (or anxious team members) because you didn’t know how to answer a question in a moment. It turns up when you are clear about how much time you dedicate to learning and experimenting. It is being honest with yourself and saying, “It’s okay. I’m going to be awful at this because I’ve never done it before; I just don’t know it yet. I have a very good track record of learning new things. I will be fine.”

Curiosity is found through the open-ended questions we ask, the shifts in our perspective, and the invitation of a diverse pool of talent. These talented team members go with us through the darkness, harnessing their unique superpowers and collective intelligence.

Passion is visible whenever you see how positively the new learning impacted you, others, and organizations. Many people admit that understanding how their struggle contributed to the success of the whole makes it all worth it.

In order to practice a learner’s mindset, make sure you and your team take advantage of all three pillars in daily activities.

Reframe Uncertainty Into a Possibility

Have you ever realized that where the uncertainty is, there is also the possibility? Yes, the unknown and chance are two sides of the same coin. A great Argentine author, Jorge Luis Borges, wrote a short story The Garden of Forking Paths (original Spanish title: “El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan”) where he explored the metaphor for the infinite diverging narratives and the unique nature of time where all possible outcomes occur. Each time I think about the double nature of the unknown, I envision this garden. I can run through the maze of paths panicking and frightened, or I can pause, observe, name the options presented to me and explore.

PATH is a simple model I usually recommend to my clients if they feel overwhelmed and fearful of not knowing what to do next.

Pause: Take a moment to pause because slowness is more effective than quickness when it comes to managing ambiguity.

Analyze: Talk to people and list all the possibilities available in this liminal space. Even irrational and playful ones.

Test: Decide on a short experiment to examine a new way of working. Manage your stakeholders by describing the boundaries of the experiment — the time and resources necessary and the signs of success or failure. This experimentation part might be repeated a few times depending on the consequence of the trial.

Head: Set out for the next unknown.

What Are the Upsides of Rethinking the Definition of the Unknown?

Above all, by shifting from seeing only the unknown to acknowledging all possibilities, you can strengthen your resilience. Since the ability to adapt and cope with adverse situations becomes more apparent when you feel abundant with options, the next time you are faced with the new and overwhelming, you can be ready to pause and analyze what is possible instead of spiraling into apprehension. Some of my clients claim that after reframing, they experience the thrill and excitement of a new discovery.

You will notice that the challenging questions from stakeholders stop overpowering you, as well. In instances such as this, you are able to normalize the situation by saying:

  • At this stage of the project, it is expected to not have some answers. We are testing to unpack and witness how the theory works in practice.
  • Thank you for asking this. The team is currently exploring the same ambiguity. I should have more data in a few days. Let me get back to you then.
  • These are patterns we are noticing right now. To be sure, the team wants to continue testing the idea to check how it interacts with all the elements of this complex system.
  • What a great question! I will talk to a team and ask them to take this perspective into consideration as well.

The side effect of reassessing the situation and implementing the PATH model is the ability to slow down when the stress level is high. Thanks to slowing down, you can get more clarity and see the bigger picture, give yourself a time cushion for important decisions and, most importantly, talk to people. By talking to people, you can encourage their participation all while empowering them to practice co-powering skills. The last one is crucial for aspiring directors that need to tap into peer relationships even more to become truly effective.

Do not expect to gain a state of comfort with the unknown on day one. The fear of the dark and strange is so deeply wired in our interaction with the world that it takes practice. Give yourself time and make sure to perceive the unknown as a vast space, the garden with forking paths instead of a corner where you got stuck with no way out.

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