A LESSON IN NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY

At foundher, a recent pandemic-induced shift has offered the perfect opportunity to practise our message.

Welcome to another year of VUCA! That’s volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, for the uninitiated – a state of being we’ve all become familiar with since Covid-19 emerged.

At foundher, the opportunity to practise navigating the VUCA world has been real.

Heading into 2022, the team and I were excited to be finalising the program and retreat that has been seven months in the making – the foundher RESET YOU program and retreat in Byron Bay, Australia. 

Then, like so many of our best-laid plans over the last two years, the pandemic threw up unexpected hurdles. Due to the climbing case numbers associated with the omicron surge here in Australia, and the challenges it could present for those travelling across interstate and international borders, we decided to shift the RESET YOU program and retreat from March to October 2022 – when we can (hopefully!) come together without heightened concern for transmission in transit or holiday visa cancellations.

Embracing the unknown

After months of planning and mere weeks till arrival, this certainly was a challenging decision to make. However, it was the best one – and, it offered an excellent opportunity to practise being in the unknown, something that I coach all foundher clients in – because let’s face it, navigating not freezing in the unknown is a modern skill we need in the toolkit. 

When we first announced this retreat with a limited number of places at the beautiful SOMA sanctuary in Byron, we held lightly the possibility that we may have to make shifts as the Covid situation progressed. That was a great conversation to be in with our partners. 

When the time came to make a decision I fielded opinions from my team and business network, then embraced my value of courage and called it. 

Shifting to a later date for the retreat was initially deflating for me personally, but it was also energising to know I’d made the best decision possible for our guests, partners and business. After all, the retreat isn’t cancelled, just postponed: we will still come together for this incredible experience in the final quarter for 2022.

A compass for uncertainty

In business, uncertainty is something almost all of us struggle with. As humans we are wired to crave structure, routine and familiarity – it makes us feel comfortable; safe. But, as we continue to grapple with the VUCA nature of the pandemic, we are all facing challenges that force us to leave familiarity behind and follow a constantly changing path.

Back in 2019 I wrote about embracing uncertainty and valuing the unknown for Thrive Global. Little did I know then exactly how pertinent this necessary skill would be for our current world! 

The guidance I shared back in 2019 and the continued conscious skill I practice (over mastery) around navigating a complex and chaotic habitat was helpful this year when it came to making this important decision. Rather than sit in the paralysing discomfort of uncertainty when it came to the pandemic’s impact on the retreat, having the ability to adapt and ask ‘what else could be great?’ opened new options.

This practice made it possible to find a path forward, giving us the ability to take the next step forward toward new options and arrive at the shift of moving the retreat to the October dates we already had booked with SOMA.

I was able to explain why it was the BEST decision to our already confirmed guests and allow a local client to be even more supported in the strategic development and planning work we had planned  

And, guess what? The world didn’t collapse! Our partners’ and guests’ reaction was so supportive. There was disappointment, naturally, but the decision lifted their uncertainty too. And, they were 100 per cent in for the October retreat!

Start experimenting with the unknown

Covid has gifted us all a big lesson in VUCA – no one has escaped chaos and complexity in some form. That much is guaranteed for all of us. 

So, here are some shifts to help you navigate the situation with grace, agility and discomfort. (All of these things can be at play at once – that’s what makes us human. Getting comfortable with discomfort and the unknown zone is key). 

Recall your resilience: Let’s face it, life is never perfect. So, what happened last time your plans were disrupted? How did you cope when a big idea failed to lift off? You’ve been through difficult and disruptive times before and not only survived, but thrived, so recall these moments, remember what you learned, and channel that energy as you stare down the unknown. 

Make the bold move: This isn’t about going gung-ho, all-in, nor big ambitious execution. A bold move is just deciding on the next step. Because the next step informs the next step and soon you will notice you have a path forward – a path that offers progress and greater understanding of the landscape you’re in.

Tap into your trusted network: Don’t feel like you have to go it alone when you’re facing uncertainty. Take a sense-check from your business support squad, your team and your close friends. This is not about handing over the reins but gaining a wider perspective through multiple eyes and experiences to inform your next best action, and to ground and guide you. 

Your network will also be able to help you dissolve any imagined worst-case scenarios and fact-check your fears with no-nonsense advice.

Slow down: Life feels fast right now – but you get to decide your own sustainable pace. When you’re facing the unknown, it’s more important than ever to find time for being, not just doing. 

The rituals and routines that support being – like reflection, a daily meeting with yourself, setting boundaries and upping your meditation  – fuel good decision-making skills such as awareness, empathy and intuition. Creating your own quiet space is also fundamental to sparking innovation and ideas. 

Question yourself: If you find yourself often steering away from the unknown and reaching for familiar outcomes, look for a reframe. Ask yourself, ‘What could be possible if I moved beyond the known zone?’ What would *really* be the worst thing about that?’ Be honest! Try to build this muscle by adopting an attitude of curiosity to the unknown. Consider it your learning zone, rather than our default attitude that unknown equals bad, wrong or risky –  it’s just unknown, until you step forward. If you’re simply curious about your patterns and alternative approaches, you can explore new options and outcomes without feeling like you’re playing a game of all or nothing.

For more strategies to support you in navigating uncertainty in 2022, explore our PACE program or private partnerships.