What if…you approached uncertainty the way champions do?
The last What If..? blog post looked at ways that MDs and CEOs can stay focused during this time of great economic, financial and business uncertainty. Here, author Simon Hartley examines how world class individuals and organisations approach uncertainty, and what we can learn from them.
This is a time of great uncertainty in business. The impact of inflation on margins and raising prices present challenges. There is concern about reining in wage increase expectations in light of the uncertain future order books. Added to that, there are concerns surrounding the new compulsory pension scheme being introduced in 2012. How should employers tackle these questions?
There are many questions, and very few rock solid answers. Everyone will have their own unique perspective and their own way of approaching the uncertainty that stands before them. So, who can we turn to? One answer is to look at what the most successful people in the world do. How do truly world class people approach uncertainty, challenges and set-backs?
During the last few years, I have had the pleasure of working with those at the very pinnacle of their respective fields. I am constantly intrigued to know what differentiates truly world class people. What separates them from the rest? How do they think? How do they respond to challenges? In the course of my research, I have interviewed a group of genuinely world class individuals and leaders of world class organisations; from Michelin starred chefs, to Olympians and top 5 world ranked athletes, mountaineers, adventurers and those who have served in the special-forces. Perhaps we can learn from some of their perspectives on uncertainty, challenges and set-backs. So, how do world class people view uncertainty?
- Uncertainty is normal.
To world class people, uncertainty is normal. Unlike the majority of us, the very best in the world deliberately seek out uncertainty. They push themselves way beyond their comfort zone. They are always seeking to explore new territory, try new things and go beyond that which has been done before. As such, they are continually surrounded by uncertainty.
- Uncertainty provides opportunities.
Creativity actually requires uncertainty. It requires us to move away from what we know. To be creative, and to innovate, we need to break the mould and abandon our familiar territory. Scientists often do this when they disprove theories. They discard what they know (and often what they have built their reputations on) and enter a state of limbo; a state of ‘not knowing’. They do this realising that the state of uncertainty is a key part of the creative process. Leading businesses often do the same. They know that when they innovate to create a competitive advantage, that advantage is only temporary. It is lost almost immediately. Almost as soon as they have changed (and created some certainty), they have to change again. In doing so, they dive back into uncertainty.
- Uncertainty is exciting.
Uncertainty is the reason why people watch sports. If we know the outcome, the spectacle loses its magic. Uncertainty presents us with challenges. It stretches us. Ultimately of course, it helps us to become better at what we do. The experience of taking on challenges actually drives world class people and motivates them. They enjoy it!
So what is it that allows world class people to continually and deliberately dive into uncertainty? One answer is; courage. Psychologist, Rollo May, understands that uncertainty is often accompanied by anxiety. In psychology, hardiness, is said to provide us with the courage to pursue the future, despite its uncertainty. In reality, the future is always uncertain, no matter how much certainty we think it may have. In that case, we simply have to choose how we perceive it and respond to it.
How do you approach uncertainty? Do you adopt the ‘bring it on’ mind-set or the ‘make it go away’ mind-set? That choice is yours.
Simon Hartley is the author of Peak Performance Every Time and Be World Class. For more information, visit www.be-world-class.com and www.peakperformanceeverytime.com
Simon – of course we can all learn from top athletes and tycoons but whilst their stories can be inspirational, frankly most people running most businesses these days are just not like them. That is why they need people like us to complement their attributes.
My experience of full time mentoring over the last eleven years is many businesses are run by people with relatively poor decision-making and management skills. They often have energy, drive, determination, self-reliance, even passion about their chosen product or service, and this single-mindedness is necessary for sustainability although it can be a barrier to changing as the market changes.
This disparity I tend to put down to the fact that I served my early career time in large corporates before moving on to run smaller companies, and learned so much of the basics about how a company works and how all the major functions relate to each other. The youngsters these days don’t go through that process, and the new regime allows old-timers like me to make a contribution
by guiding them away from what to us are obvious pitfalls and saving the time that they spend re-inventing the wheel.
I hardly thought that the basic lessons I learned in the 1960s would still be relevant today, but I still have to educate a whole new generation in simple things like selling the benefits and not the features, and using the word “you” when writing copy far more times than “we”.
We all need people to look up to, but I sometimes think that the cult of the celebrity entrepreneur misleads as many people as it inspires. Every business person has a unique set of ambitions, skills, and limitations and the formula for their success has to be equally unique. This is why the work that we do is far more important than anything that Richard Branson or Alan Sugar has ever said.
I appreciate both points of view, I think we can always learn from other people (not only in business but life) but also appreciate that learning from your own mistakes can help you grow surrounding yourself by people that understand what you are trying to achieve with your business helps guide your decisions as people will see things from different perspectives. We do live in uncertain times, each person will learn how best to deal with todays world through the support and guidance from family and other people and their own way of dealing with things.