By Dr. Teresa Peterson
This month, we’re talking about uncertainty. So far, we’ve discussed how our brains respond to uncertainty and shared five strategies for leading through uncertainty. This week, we’re taking a look at what can happen as a result of too much (or prolonged) uncertainty—or, said another way, a disconnect in the dynamic between grappling with the very real unpredictability inherent in our lives and work and the level of psychological safety and trust we need in our professional environments and relationships that allow us to cope and move forward.
If we don’t get that last part right, what does it cost us? The answer is a lot, both in the short term and the long term.
Before we get into the four major costs we see, it’s important to point out that power dynamics play a big role here. (No surprise.) If things feel uncertain but you are a manager or leader with the ability to control or influence the next steps, you might not experience the following—or, at least, to the same degree as those who have less decision making power. For those folks, it can feel like they’re along for the ride with no real say or insight into what might come next. Even though we all certainly have a say in how we show up daily, not feeling like you can directly improve anything that’s giving you pause can make it hard to operate on a daily basis.
Here are four ways this can manifest.(And next week, stay tuned for self-regulation strategies to help you move through them!)
1. Lack of Focus
In the short-term, a lack of focus or mental fog can lead to highly stressed humans and disrupted workflows. It might look like things getting missed or balls getting dropped—not intentionally, but rather because our brains simply can’t recall and process detail optimally when under duress. This is problematic, but not as dangerous when it’s temporary. In the long-term, it’s a much bigger deal because prioritization suffers. If we’re in such foggy territory that we can’t tell what’s important anymore—or, if we’re being told by our organization that everything is equally important, meaning there are too many priorities at once—not only can our performance suffer, but also our mental health.
2. Challenges with Collaboration
When faced with uncertainty, collaboration can suffer in the short-term because we’re not as eager to create new partnerships (or expand partnerships or repair existing ones) when we’re simply trying to survive. In these scenarios, we’re far more likely to stick to what we know. This is unconscious and biological: In times of distress, our brains are focused on how to make it through—which primarily means focusing on what’s happening to the groups we’re already closest to. In the long-term, when things are uncertain, people don’t always feel like there’s that much of a point to collaboration. If things are unclear when it’s just us—or us with a small group–what is the value of bringing in more collaborative partners? This isn’t always the reality, but it is often the perception that we see in this work.
3. Loss of Trust
In the short-term, we know that if people feel a sense of uncertainty, they tend to be guarded and are not going to want to put themselves out there in nearly the same way as they would if they felt safe. Again, this goes back to evolution: we’re hunkering down in self-protection because we don’t trust what’s out there. By definition, trust requires some elements of certainty—if not in situations or environments, then in the people we face them with. It’s very hard to stay grounded in trust when we’re in that protection state, when we’re uncertain about what’s happening, and when we’re hesitant to partner. In the long-term, if things are too unclear for too long of a period, then trust goes all the way down the tube. In this phase, people tend to lose faith, which can lead to our last consequence: apathy.
4. Apathy
In the short-term, if you’re struggling with apathy as a result of uncertainty, you might feel helpless. Like you’re not sure what you can do—and like it might come crashing down at any time, so you might as well do the bare minimum. (These are real things that we hear from people who are in the thick of it.) The long-term impact of apathy is very dangerous for both people and organizations. When this happens, we sometimes see the group only making progress on a couple things that it’s clear they don’t believe in. People are playing along, but it’s a facade to survive. Unfortunately, this is one component of burnout—which we know is extraordinarily harmful to humans and to teams. When facing an abundance of apathy or burnout as a result of prolonged uncertainty, creativity and innovation suffer, making it that much harder to get out of the hole.
What’s Next?
The more uncertain things are, the less we can tap into our executive brain when we need it the most. And again, if you’re the leader or decision-maker, you have some safety nets not afforded to those pushing forward with blinders on when it comes to their futures. If you want your team to thrive—if you want a culture of innovation, collaboration, creativity, passion, trust, focus—putting your team through long periods of uncertainty probably isn’t the most straight path to that outcome. That’s why it’s important to keep the lines of communication open. If you can remove the blinders for folks, they can see the bigger picture. And even when that bigger picture is uncertain—because, again, we’re human and things change—it can feel more safe and manageable with an expanded view.
Are you or your team struggling through uncertainty? Do you want to learn how to lead change and/or develop a deeper level of psychological safety in your organization as you navigate uncharted waters? We can help.
Dr. Teresa Peterson
Dr. Teresa Peterson is the Director of Learning and Development for Sarah Noll Wilson, Inc. In her daily work, she serves as Sarah’s key content collaborator. Teresa enjoys facilitating, researching, and is passionate about applying best practices for learning to make our experiences meaningful, engaging, and accessible for all types of learners. Teresa holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Northern Iowa and brings over twenty years of experience teaching, facilitating, and leading to our team. Our clients love Teresa’s grounded energy, depth of thought, and ability to listen deeply.