Ch 19: Tolerating Uncertainty & Managing Change

11/19/24 • 18 min

We live with constant uncertainty and change in modern life. To be able to be effective we need to learn to ride the waves of our feelings and use the information we get from them. We can learn to trust our inner process as well as group processes. Change has a predictable series of stages along with emotional responses and behavioral signs. Empathy and communication help us and our teams through the process of change:

Denial
Anger/Depression/Anxiety
Disorientation
Acceptance

Experiment: Softening impatience & frustration

Experiment: Distinguishing control from choice

Experiment: Helping yourself and your team through change

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Denial
Anger/Depression/Anxiety
Disorientation
Acceptance

Experiment: Softening impatience & frustration

Experiment: Distinguishing control from choice

Experiment: Helping yourself and your team through change

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Ch 18: Negative & Irrational Thinking

The pervasiveness of negativity in our culture and in our minds is a habit we can break free from. The first step is become aware of the pattern. Then, we can adopt a beginner’s mind to undo the impact of assumptions and personalization. An objective and supportive stance towards our own thinking pattern shifts our attention away from negativity. Generosity and giving, especially without the expectation of a return, are proven ways to boost our mood and positivity. Ultimately, how we treat ourselves is the most important habit to build to undo negative and irrational thinking.

Experiment: Keeping a rational thinking journal

Experiment: Deactivating core fears: The NO FEAR approach

Experiment: Cultivating positivity, perspective and gratitude

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Next Episode

Ch 20: Multitasking & Technology

We can increase our self-control and ability to focus. In addition, we can improve our ‘executive functions’. These enable us to organize ourselves and manage the demands of our lives. Multitasking is seductive but makes us error prone and makes it harder to focus in the future. It is essentially neurotoxic as it thins our prefrontal cortex. We need to intentionally set boundaries on technology, for example, how often we check our email. And we need to decide whether we need to respond instantaneously. If we are clear on our limitations we can use technology to help us focus rather than be its slave.

Experiment: Mindful consumption

Experiment: Email and communication breaks

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