The past month or so I’ve spoken with many leaders and clients about the challenges they are facing at this time. Many have talked about the dynamics of uncertainty related to COVID-19 and other causes, and how to effectively lead their teams.
We’ve discussed the application of the many tools and techniques they’ve learned in our learning and development programs, and I’ve heard some very inspiring stories of what might be considered small actions that are making a significant difference.
Additionally, here is a quick exercise I’ve suggested:
INDIVIDUALLY:
Think about a time in your past when you experienced a period of uncertainty. It might have been a brief or an extended period.
– What did you do that enabled you to navigate most effectively for yourself and others?
– What did you NOT do that was beneficial to NOT do?
– Did what you did effectively in the early part of the uncertainty period remain the same throughout or did it change?
– If it changed, was that productive or unproductive?
Think about another leader or co-worker, or someone you know now or in the past that effectively managed uncertainty.
– What did they do?
– What did they NOT do?
– Did what they did effectively in the early part of the uncertainty period remain the same throughout or did it change?
– If it changed, was that productive or unproductive?
TEAMS:
Think about a time in your past when you were on a team experiencing an extended period of uncertainty.
– What did the team do that enabled it to navigate most effectively as a team, cross-functionally and for customers?
– What did the team NOT do that was beneficial to NOT do?
– Did what the team did effectively in the early part of the uncertainty period remain the same throughout or did it change?
– If it changed, was that productive or unproductive?
Sometimes one of our best resources is what we’ve learned from previous experiences, but when they are experiences that do not occur with regularity or frequency we can lose sight of those lessons without an intentional inquiry.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” – Vivian Greene
Published on April 14, 2020 on Linked In
April Frank – Innovative Edge, Inc. Copyright April 2020. All rights reserved
Credit: Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash
