Have you ever announced what you thought was a small change for the organization, only to have your employees react as if the sky is falling? Or maybe you were on the receiving end of something new or different and found yourself feeling anxious, stressed and unable to focus. Well, if so, you’re not alone.
One reason for this response is uncertainty. Every change, regardless of how well planned, creates uncertainty. Although each of us can have a different tolerance for uncertainty, it is stressful for every human being.
Understanding and learning to navigate four typical responses to uncertainty can help your organization and team thrive in the face of change.
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Response #1 Worry
Worry is one of the first and most pervasive responses to uncertainty. It’s also normal, and most of us are very good at it.
That’s because worry is linked to our unique and natural ability to hypothesize—to create what-if scenarios as we try to predict what might happen next. Our ability to hypothesize can and has led to breakthrough innovation and knowledge.
Although worry is a form of hypothesizing, it’s different: instead of leading to innovation and breakthroughs, it can leave us feeling anxious, unable to act, and fearful of what will happen.
Have you ever been stuck in a worry loop?
In a worry loop, our what-if scenarios are almost always focused on the negative consequences. For example, one employee, when a merger was announced, worried about her new role, how she would manage childcare if her hours changed, and what if the merger wasn’t successful. These are all important questions, but because she was in a worry loop, answering her questions didn’t reduce her anxiety. That’s how worry tricks us. We think we are problem-solving, when we are really problem-spinning.
Another reason worry is not an effective tool in dealing with uncertainty is that it puts our built-in negativity bias in the driver’s seat. So instead of seeing or exploring the full range of possible scenarios, we only focus on the negative.
Leadership Action
It’s not easy to break free of a worry loop. Simply telling yourself, your team, or anyone not to worry is like telling someone not to breathe.
Instead, pause, acknowledge the fear and uncertainty. Then focus on the present moment. One exercise we teach participants in our Stress Management for Change Course is to identify what they can control. Once they recognize what they can control, they can usually identify an action that breaks the cycle of worry in the present moment.
Response #2 Information Seeking Behaviours
Another response to uncertainty is information seeking. Research exploring our reactions to uncertainty during change found that when we feel uncertain, we seek out information to fill any void and reduce that uncertainty. [1]
I experienced this in the first few weeks of the pandemic when I found myself glued to news feeds, and every conversation was about COVID.
Despite the constant feed of information, the volume of information, the constant and often contradictory sources of new information, along with the speculation and opinion, caused my stress level and sense of uncertainty to go up instead of down.
The same thing can happen during organizational change. The people affected seek out information. If there is not enough coming from reliable sources, or if it’s coming too slowly or in the wrong format, an information void is created. To fill the void, they will seek information from any source, regardless of its reliability or accuracy, which can raise their stress and uncertainty.
Leadership Action
Creating a network of people throughout the organization who actively communicate can help. It enables people to tap into and receive timely, accurate and helpful information from reliable sources. It’s almost impossible in today’s environment to rely solely on cascading information through formal channels. There are too many ways for people to get information. Designing and creating a network for communication taps into the natural order and creates a healthy grapevine to support your change efforts.
That’s what I did during the pandemic. Initially, I turned off all my news feeds. Then, I created a curated communication network that would keep me informed, avoid speculation, and provide helpful information. I tapped into it as needed.
Response #3 Hypervigilance
A third response to uncertainty is hypervigilance. Hypervigilant is the state of being on high alert. You are more sensitive to your environment and the people around you. There are degrees of hypervigilance, and in this post, I am not talking about the level that needs professional help.
I have seen levels of hypervigilance demonstrated in different types of large and small change initiatives. And heard leaders describe people as sensitive, and they are. When we are hypervigilant, we have a heightened sensitivity and awareness of non-verbal, verbal, and environmental cues.
To our brain, hypervigilance is a way of keeping us safe. It’s a primary survival mechanism. It’s what keeps you alert when in an unfamiliar environment. Neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay notes hypervigilance can be exhausting and cause us to create threats where there aren’t any. [2]
Because we are more attuned to subtle changes, we connect dots that are meant to be connected. As a result, we make assumptions and draw conclusions that can heighten our stress response.
Leadership Action
The first step in dealing with hypervigilance is to stop labelling people as too sensitive and acknowledge that it can be part of a normal reaction to uncertainty. Develop your skills, comfort, and confidence to navigate the emotional aspect of change.
Balancing what’s not changing with what is changing will also help give stability during the change process. A clearly defined intended outcome story and active involvement in the planning process also helps. Developing your skill and confidence to lead within the emotional element of change will also help you navigate and reduce uncertainty.
Response #4 Seeking Reassurance
The fourth response to uncertainty is Reassurance. Everyone needs reassurance at some point, especially during change. It may be the reassurance that we have the skills and capability to adopt the new activities and behaviours. Or about our role and responsibility, or how the change may affect other areas of our lives.
Some people are better able to reassure themselves. They approach events from an “everything always works out” mentality. Others need more external reassurance. They ask more questions or the same question multiple different times to different people.
Early in my career, I worked with one change manager who needed regular reassurance. She was new to the role and would ask the same question in multiple different ways. She listened carefully, and if my response appeared different, she would remind me of what I said previously. Initially, it was frustrating. But once I recognized she needed it, I was able to respond with empathy. Over time, her confidence grew, and she needed less reassurance.
Leadership Action
It’s easy to want to reassure people by putting a positive spin on the issue. Yes, helping people see the benefits is helpful, but too much can lead to toxic positivity. The reassurance needs to be honest, not making promises that you can’t keep. Providing context and helping people see how things fit together to see how short-term activities fit with long-term goals can also help.
Building Readiness
Over time, and with a readiness mindset, you can help people increase their tolerance for uncertainty, which will reduce their stress and help them and your organization thrive because of change.
If you’d like support with these responses, book a Change Strategy Call today.
References:
[1] McKay, S. (2020). The Uncertain Brain. A Guide to Facing The Fear of the Unknown. Retrieved from https://drsarahmckay.com/the-uncertain-brain-a-guide-to-facing-the-fear-of-the-unknown/
[2] Allen, J., Jimmieson, N., Bordia, P., & Irmer, B. (2007). Uncertainty during organizational change: Managing perceptions through communication. Journal of Change Management, 7(2), 187-210.
