How do you make the most out of any times? I recently heard the comment "it would be a shame to waste a good crisis." This is a good start for a positive reframe on what has been seen as a very negative set of circumstances. The idea is that we need to stay continually on our path towards our goals. When we look at the systems science of organizations, we know that those organizations that have the most flexibility survive better than organizations that do not. When the environment changes, so do your plans and methods of engagement.

Add to this another wrinkle. When we feel threatened, it is a natural reaction to go to our most tried and true techniques. So, just when we need to be open and flexible, we can be drawn into a rigid set of behaviors based on our past successes. This is often counter-productive, and sometimes can be completely devastating. We have to learn what our default responses have been, then evaluate them against the current situation and decide whether or not it serves us.

The key to making this choice is in our ability to create an emotional state that aligns with our most curious and flexible self. This opens the door to possibilities and allows us the latitude to making new choices. Without this, we are vulnerable to being driven by fear and anxiety, which typically produces our worst long-term results. To thrive, we have to continually manage our own reactions.

The next major piece is to draw in those around you. Tough times require solid bases of teamwork. As a leader, your approach to instability greatly impacts everyone around you. It is important that you take the time to ensure your own ability to continue, to be productive, and to stay generative. Just like the pre-flight briefing, in the event that oxygen is required, you must put on your own mask before you can help others. Have you done that? If you can’t answer that, stop now and take a few minutes to figure out what you can do to ensure that you are taking care of yourself. Then go out and check in with everyone else. This is a time when our best is needed by everyone around us. Take care of yourself, be curious, then plan and adapt.

So, take a few moments, take some notes, and
change your life.
Cheers,

Jeff

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A recurring question I have gotten recently has been "how much change is too much? Seems like a fair question, and a good one, that just doesn't seem to have a simple answer. I know for myself, I start raising the alarm warnings when I don't know where to look for my socks in the morning.

We humans rely on a certain amount of predictability in our lives. There are things that you want to be the same - like red lights always meaning stop and your breakfast to be nutritious and not poisonous. These are things that allow us to move through life without making every single step we take a life-or-death experiment. Imagine a day like that, where you had absolutely no frame of reference, and everything around you changed constantly. Learning would be impossible, and you would never be able to think beyond the next few seconds.

We have it far better than that. For most of us, life has a vast amount of stability and predictability. Recent times, however, have created some uncertainty for many people. What sometimes happens is that feeling of uncertainty can get carried over into other areas of your life. It can show up as general anxiety which can make everything in life appear to be uncertain. This makes it very important for us to remember what changing, and what is not.

As a general rule of thumb, the more complex your interactions are with your environment, the more disruptive change will be. In very dynamic times, simplicity is the key. There are fewer decisions to make. There is more time available to stay informed, and more time to take care of yourself.

So if you are having trouble keeping up with the daily things in life, it is a signal to make a shift. Remember that change is inevitable, and that we cannot slow that process. We also need not stop changes that we have set into motion for good reasons. Change how your respond. Shorten your planning cycles and adjust your plan more frequently. Adjust your engagement style, simplify, and most of all, remember stay calm and confident.

So, take a few moments, take some notes, and change your life.
Cheers,

Jeff Evans, Ph.D.