Get cool with uncertainty
I talk a lot about the importance of clarity - clarity of purpose, role and process.
Sometimes people confuse clarity with certainty. They’re not the same.
I can be clear about what I’m supposed to do, how I’m supposed to do it, when it needs to be done and why it’s important. AND lack certainty about how the work will unfold, what the outcome will be or whether I will need to reevaluate and change course.
Since uncertainty is the norm, it doesn’t do you a lot of good to struggle against it.
Or to fantasize about a day when all will be ‘under control.’
Instead, a better use of energy is to recognize the risks uncertainty can create in your business and make decisions to mitigate its impact.
This might look like asking and answering these questions:
What’s most important to me?
How do I define success?
Who needs to understand this?
What business levers can I use to get my desired end result?
What’s most important to me?
You started your business for a reason (or two.) What are they? Is your business helping you create what you most want? If not, why?
Getting clear on what you care about most makes it easier to answer the next question. And it helps you stay on track despite interruptions, disruptions or when there simply isn’t much information to go on.
How do I define success?
In a world where overwork is the norm and success is often defined as ‘more,’ it’s important to be clear about how you define success.
Achieving someone else’s definition of success can leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled.
Defining and sticking to your own definition of success may feel risky, if it doesn’t fit the norm. But being able to pick your own metrics (financial goals, giving your kids experiences you never had, having a flexible schedule, avoiding burnout, etc.) makes it easier to stay the course when you feel pulled to fulfill the expectations of others. Or when uncertainty tempts you to follow someone else's playbook.
Who needs to understand this?
Who in your family, professional network and business needs to understand what is most important to you and how you define success?
Anyone who is directly or indirectly helping you grow your business needs to know this information. Only with this clarity can they make choices and take action in ways that align with what you care about most and keep you on track to succeed on your own terms.
When all else is uncertain, the clarity this information provides helps people cope with ambiguity and stay focused. It reduces the risk that you (or anyone else) will start doing things that relieve feelings of uncertainty in the short term and derail your long term success. This is one way clarity helps us get cool with uncertainty.
What business levers can I use to get my desired end results?
In the midst of uncertainty, it’s easy to start doing things that feel productive but don’t help you achieve the success you desire.
It can also be tempting to try to do a whole bunch of things at once, which dilutes the impact any one strategy can have.
And we can run smack dab into inertia if the options seem overwhelming.
By identifying which business levers to focus on you work smarter, not harder and deliver faster results.
Your lever might be money or people. It could be time or technology. Perhaps its processes or skills.
There is no ‘right’ lever, just the resource that, when focused on a specific goal, is able to help you achieve success as you have defined it.
Now every lever needs a good strategy…more to come on that soon!
Bottom line:
Despite the uncertainty you experience in business every day, your job is to lead the growth of your company. Hopefully, these questions will help you define and achieve success regardless of the ambiguity you face.
Of course, it can be easier to ask and answer these questions with the help of a business coach. Purpose First Advisors is ready to help you (re)start the process.
