Show Notes:

• [0:00:00] Intro | Timely Topics
  • The Uncertain Edition?
  • Recap on Uncertainty to Action & Unknown-unknowns
• [0:02:30] How Do You Lead & Navigate Through Change?
  • Acknowledging the different types and areas of uncertainty in your business:
    • 1) The uncertainty you may feel as an owner/manager.
    • 2) The uncertainty that your team might feel from lack of clarity and/or communication.
      • "How do you handle the uncertainty you feel, and how much of that do you share with the team?"
      • "How do you ensure the team has the clarity they need?"
  • Living with chronic uncertainty can negatively impact anyone, literally rewiring our brains.
    • This kind of stress will change the way a person thinks.
    • When you convey your own uncertainty, you have to prevent simply piling on and multiplying fear.
  • Transparency is always something to aim for, but some uncertainty is better held amongst the leadership.
    • But this is usually a very small list of things.
    • Assume the best from all parties involved.
    • Transparency regarding uncertainty is always a balance.
  • Maybe don't impulsively share uncertainty.
    • Ruminate and consider it the unknown before sharing.
    • Your team will see how leadership responds to uncertainty and typically emulate that.
• [0:09:06] You want an organization and culture where others can voice their uncertainty without repercussion or criticism.
  • Even as a leader, you may think you see everything...but you don't.
    • Ensure your culture is an open one.
    • Survey your team to determine where their uncertainties are.
      • Ask the question.
  • Adoption of change looks different for everyone.
  • Don't underestimate the impact of change on your team.
    • "People don't struggle with the change, they struggle with the transition."
      • "With all transition, there has to be a time to mourn the loss. That's what people struggle with."
      • "Organizations don't always give the appropriate time for our teams to mourn and truly transition, that's why people fear change."
      • "You as a leader have often had the time to process, whereas your team is just hit with one thing after the other in a transition."
    • Listen to the feedback for uncertainty that you may have created in announcing change or transition.
      • Always do your best to address the why.
      • Allow your team to have input in how their day-to-day may change.
        • When we have input, we're more likely to be okay and internalize it.
    • See the change from your team's perspective.
      • Intentional empathy can work wonders for your organization.
  • Have your culture and values in place ahead of change and any transition.
  • Involve the team in solutioning.
    • It makes change so much smoother and easier in the long run.
• [0:19:54] Presenting Change
  • Consider presenting change as "here are my thoughts and suggestions, think about it, and let's discuss in a few days to a week".
    • Offer your input as flexible ideas that the team can influence and even improve upon.
    • It's a lot easier to accept something that may be possible, but not necessarily a last-minute directive or mandate.
  • Lead the conversation with the uncertainty and challenge so that everyone is immediately looking to confront this as a team.
  • Time-box your idea and solution/s.
    • Experiment.
      • Nobody mourns the loss of an experiment.
      • You have to follow through and weigh the results of the experiment.
      • Failed experiments are their own successes if we learned something.
  • Ultimately you're trying to build resilience.
    • You want a culture that is versed in experiments and can bounce back from failures with positive lessons and takeaways.
• [0:27:37] Parting Words
  • "Business is change, there is nothing else."
    • Whether we like it or not.
    • Figuring out how best to change, and how to roll with the punches is vital.
    • Remember, how you transition through change is what matters.
    • Experiment, iterate, and move forward.
    • You're either helping your team become more resilient, or more brittle.

Show Notes:

• [0:00:57] Intro | Timely Topics
  • Radio voices are a go.
  • Wear sunscreen!
  • A brief recap of the previous episode.
• [00:03:00] Leaving Behind Analysis Paralysis
  • Punished by choice, leaving uncertainty to chance, and overconfidence
    • All of them exhibit a lack of knowledge/experience/data.
  • Gaining information when under the thumb of uncertainty.
    • Iterative action/s through uncertainty.
      • Understanding pieces at a time.
  • "Put one foot in front of the other...and soon..."
    • You can't overestimate the value of action.
  • The scientific method is your friend!
    • You make observations and you ask questions. That's the start.
      • "What does this uncertainty/opportunity afford to us as a company?"
      • "Then what?" *what's next?*
      • "So what?" *measuring worth & magnitude*
• [00:12:20] Important Aspects of Moving from Uncertainty to Action
  • "Where is the opportunity in the uncertainty?"
    • Using the trend of distributed work culture as an example.
  • Forming a testable explanation to get you to the next stage.
  • "What are the limiters to growth?"
  • "What are the things that good organizations do continually?"
  • Financial capability can undoubtedly fuel growth, but ultimately people (and their experience/talent) are the finite resource that limits growth.
  • You HAVE to make a prediction.
    • You want to come out of your experiment with more knowledge than you had going into the hypothesis.
    • Informing the prediction.
      • Expected outcomes vs the reality.
  • Control your variables...as best as you can.
    • An example using seasonal discounts/sales.
    • Isolate individual actions.
  • Results HAVE to be repeatable.
    • Because you will have to repeat your results, likely sooner than later.
  • Moving from one experiment to another too quickly is dangerous.
    • One at a time is best if possible.
  • Iterate, and repeat the processes.
    • Insert new variables, new predictions.
  • Patience is so very important.
    • We often give up on things too quickly.
      • Stop it.
• [00:24:50] Wrapping Up with Parting Words & Takeaways
  • Things to keep in mind:
    • A failed experiment: a hypothesis PROVEN WRONG is a SUCCESS as long as you learned a lesson!
    • Everything moves you toward success.
    • To quote Adam Savage of Mythbusters, "Failure is always an option."
      • The truth is that failure doesn't have to be negative.
    • When you're dealing with uncertainty, decisions are riskier than experiments.
      • It's ok to be uncertain, but it's also ok to be certain...as long as you're right.
        • This is why it's a lot safer to admit when you're uncertain and create experiments than it is to double down on your pride/ego with decisions that come from false certainty.
        • Commitments are dangerous in experiments.
    • Action is okay, but experimental action is the best way forward.

Show Notes:

• [0:00:49] Intro | Timely Topics
  • We’re all surrounded by uncertainty in these trying times. 
  • Dealing with uncertainty in your business & your life
  • How we respond to universal uncertainty is unique to each of us. 
• [0:05:25] Identifying Uncertainty in Your Business 
  • We wrongfully attribute uncertainty to risk. 
  • We often lack the information to reasonably define uncertainty as risk.
  • Using Slack as an example.
  • Certain people are excited by uncertanty.
  • It’s very important to be able to react to the unknown things that pop up. 
  • You can address some uncertainty simply by not being too certain of your plans. 
  • Keep an eye and ear attuned to your marketplace. 

• [0:13:50] Everyone Handles Uncertainty Differently, and That’s Okay
  • Uncertainty may entice, excite, and compel some to action. 
  • Some of the best things can come from uncertainty and learning to act in the face of it. 
• [0:15:35] Leadership is Not the Absence of Uncertainty
  • There are 3 Responses to Uncertainty:
    • Denial
    • Overconfidence
    • Or Analysis Paralysis
  • Huge Companies Have Crumbled Being Unready for Unknown-Unknowns
• [0:17:30] If you don’t have any uncertainty...you may have larger problems.
  • The further you move from this moment, the greater the uncertainty.
  • The pandemic proved we were all a little too certain.
  • Knowing your values forms an archor point to combat uncertainty.
  • Your response to uncertanty will uncover things about you and your company culture.
• [0:26:35] Parting Words
  • Remember, if you've identified it, then it's a risk, not an uncertanty.
  • When planning and identifying uncertanty, opportunity often presents itself.
    • If we're somewhat aware and prepared, we're then able to pivet more readily, and shift into the next thing we're supposed to become.
      • It's not easy to accomplish, but it's worth the investment.

Show Notes:

• [0:00:00] Intro | Brief Recap

• [0:02:50] Work/Life Balance vs Work/Life Integration

• [0:17:57] Work/Life Integration Still Requires Intention, Strategy, and Planning

• [0:21:41] Things We Do to Ensure Quality Work/Life Integration

• [0:30:33] Parting Words