Leadership for uncertain times
What happens when a human being feels under threat, uncertain or uncomfortable? Understanding this is key when people are experiencing change, as it’s likely some of them will perceive this as threat, and respond accordingly. So, what do I mean by a threat, in a work context?
Some examples might be:
• feeling out of control
• being unsure or uncertain
• feeling out of your comfort zone
• risk to your ego / reputation
• lacking a sense of security
• lacking a sense of belonging
Let’s face it, these and many other aspects of working life can feel threatening, whether or not we’re conscious of it. In my organisational consulting, I have listened to many people over the years talking about what feels threatening or unsafe at work. Some themes consistently emerge:
Worrying about making a mistake – in some cases, a mistake could cause upset, inconvenience, wasted time or wasted money. In other cases, an error could cause harm, distress, legal consequences, injury or even death.
Worrying about losing my job – this might be as a result of redundancy or restructuring, or perhaps a concern about being sacked. For people with professional registration, losing their licence to practice can be the equivalent of losing their reputation and livelihood.
Time and resource limits – anxiety and stress derived from not having time or resources to do things well, the impact of insufficient staffing, being expected to do more than is humanly reasonable.
Well-being and health – worries about the impact of work pressures on health/well-being, negative impact on family life, never feeling able to switch off from work, getting ill, burnout, mental illness, suicide, death in service.
Moral Injury – being asked or expected to do work which is against your core values, or whereby doing the work, you are contributing to something harmful or dishonest, leading to a moral conflict.
Negative judgements and the opinion of others
This list shows that the stakes are high. As a result, for many people in the workplace, the self-protect radar is turned up to full sensitivity.
When humans feel under threat or in discomfort – often in a context of uncertainty or change – we have a range of predictable responses. These aren’t right or wrong; they serve a purpose… to self-protect. It can be helpful to remember these as B.D.S.P. responses, because they happen when people are Being Driven to Self-Protect. Although naturally human, these common responses can also cause huge problems in teams and groups at work.
As you recognise any of these B.D.S.P. tendencies in yourself or colleagues, try not to judge these responses as positive or negative; good or bad. At an individual level, each one has significant self-protecting benefits. And each one can also be very damaging to relationships and problematic, developing into unhealthy norms and cultures in the workplace.
There are four practical, alternative ways to deal with stress, uncertainty and threat at work, which meet human needs more effectively and underpin a healthier, more innovative, fulfilling culture. These will help you if you are dealing with uncertainty yourself, or leading people through change. The approach involves a shift: less Blame-Distract-Solve-Placate (BDSP) and more Curiosity-Attention-Resourcefulness-Empathy (CARE).
What would a shift from BDSP to CARE look like for you in your interactions at work?
The first chapter of The Culture Trap book dives deep into human nature - how humans react to change or uncertainty, and how to guide people through this in a human-centred way - more effectively and healthily. The book is full of practical, do-able ways to improve your relationships, influence and culture, as a leader and with your teams.