Day: September 27, 2022

In the corporate world dealing with ambiguity is considered a highly desirable leadership skill, as it provides stability and optimism in times of uncertainty. If your career spans more than a decade, you have likely seen your share of changes leaving you with doubts about the future. I know I have. In one organization I experienced four (!) manager changes within 12 months. In another organization, the CEO position was a revolving door with four individuals holding that job title within three years. This resulted in significant disruption to the organization and its people. I also experienced the stress associated with layoffs, not knowing how it would impact my career or future. Nonetheless, I maneuvered these scenarios with grace and a positive mindset.

It is human to have a certain level of discomfort when we don’t know what to expect next, yet change is inevitable, and worries are misdirected emotions that only drain us of energy. So, what can you do if change makes you uneasy and leads to experiencing anxiety or worse?

Here are a few tips that help you not just increase your tolerance for ambiguity, but help you embrace it:

Reframe your mind

If you fear that things will not work out for you, pause for a moment and imagine how fantastic you will feel when they do work out.

Draw from past experiences

Think about a similar situation you have handled successfully. What skills did you apply in that situation to resolve it? How can you apply the same skills to the current situation?

Play out the “worst-case scenario”

Have you asked yourself what the worst thing is that could happen? How severe is the situation in reality? Even unpleasant situations are rarely life-threatening or an indicator of the end of the world.

Take a break

When your mind is spinning, because you cannot find a resolution to a problem or an answer to what the future holds, take a break, and do something that not only distracts you, but recharges your battery.

Let go of what you cannot control

Remind yourself that there are only a few things that are completely under our control and that is primarily how we handle things not what happens to us (see my article “Out of control” https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/out-control-angela-meyburg-acc-cpc-).

No one knows for sure what the future holds. I continue to remain optimistic about mine. Living in the US has been a blessing, despite its up and downs. If you need help from a professional coach in learning how to embrace ambiguity, reach out to me at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com.