Tips to Handle “Uncertainty”


All of us often come across a very commonly observed phenomenon at our workplaces in today’s economic settings – the fear of uncertainty. Though it certainly doesn’t sound healthy in a professional environment, but being upset and getting worried are normal feelings when we are faced with the turmoil.

In the entire world, majority of earning population is feeling upset, angry and stressed out about the economy and the recent economic shocks have been felt more sharply. Millions of people are afraid of losing their jobs or having their financial security threatened.

At the outset, we should not remain in denial mode but at the same we should not let the fear of financial losses hamper our emotional well-being. Instead, we can empower ourselves to deal with economic uncertainty in a positive way, just as we can take charge of our personal safety rather than being overwhelmed by potential danger.

Basis my experiential learnings, I have scribbled my thoughts which shall help you deal with uncertainity in a more systematic way ; -

Take charge of your actions - we can’t always control what happens around us, but we can take charge of our own actions & feelings and take responsibility for our financial well-being. Try to look for solutions instead of blaming. Blaming is a waste of energy and time. It is far more productive to focus on what we can do to make the best of our economic situation.

Increase your awareness and use it equip yourself with what is happening in the economy and pay attention to how these changes might affect you personally. Keep looking for new possibilities and be willing to adapt. Adaptability is the key. If you are looking for a new job, see where and how your skills, values and personal aspirations can be applied. Be creative and look for the areas of demand. Not every avenue will be affected by the economic slowdown. Having a calm and aware mind makes it easier to see possibilities! For every loss of job opportunities, there are potential new gains as well. Even very upsetting changes are not always bad in the long run. Sometimes job loss provides a necessary jolt for a long-overdue career shift. Basis my experience, i have realized that THREATS ARE BEST OPPORTUNITIES and we can leverage those opportunities if we keep a postive mental attitude.

Act confidently - your belief in yourself as being valuable, competent and powerful is one of the most important tools you have for protecting your well-being, financially and emotionally. Acting as if you believe in yourself even if you are nervous or doubtful inside can help you to start actually feeling more confident. Worry will make you miserable without solving anything. Instead of wasting energy on worry or regret for past mistakes, approaching potential problems with an attitude of confidence can help you to handle those problems more effectively. In addition, other people are more likely to listen to you and less likely to ignore or bother you if you act aware, calm and confident when you talk with them.

Ask for Help - if you are not sure what to do, please get help. You are not the only one even if you feel that way. No matter how big your problems might be, many others might have faced worse problems. Though dealing with such problems can be very painful but they provide an opportunity for tremendous personal growth that can lead to much greater happiness. If possible, get help before you are in a crisis. Remember to Think First. Avoid the temptation to look for quick-fixes. Instead, look for long-term solutions that will help you determine what went wrong, where you want to go and a reasonable plan for getting there.

Each one of us has already gone through such uncertainties or those of us who have recently started their career, shall go through the same mutlitple time during the long standing career! Every time we pass through such a phase, it make us more wiser, adaptable and enhance our ability to leverage tough sitautions to our advantage.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous8:25:00 PM

    I think the problem is mis-stated: It is not fear of uncertainty, it is the fear of losing one's job, made uncertain by how difficult it is to predict big companies' decisions that can overwhelmingly effect your life. In the game of employment a company like GE holds all the cards, and the managers making the decisions are neither trained nor motivated to consider ways they can mitigate the disruption to their employees.
    My experiential based advice is this: When faced with job loss stress, go to your bosses boss and ask if they are really planning to let you go in the near future. This will upset him/her, cause a discussion with your bosses boss, and have 2 positive outcomes: [NOTE: you must document any reaction, which is unlikely to be in writing, but spreading the details of the encounters far and wide verbally will have the same effect] 1. They will not want to look like they fired you for this reason, which is hardly "for cause" and will make them look petty and insecure, so they have an incentive to not fire you. 2. Their reactions will provide strong clues to any planned RIFs.



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