Discover 7 Potent Methods for Bringing Order to Uncertain Times 

Picture the scene—in the midst of uncertainty, the team knew exactly how to react. They had trained and prepared for this together. They knew their strengths and had connected tried-and-tested techniques they could rely on—all to serve their united purpose and the individuals they were there to serve. It might feel bumpy, but they were prepared, which helped calm any nerves and boosted their confidence. 

Like all great teams in the modern workplace, they had spent time exploring the market dynamics, broadened their perspectives, understood the hazards, uncovered possibilities, and knew that when decisions had to be made, they could come together to consider the impact of different options and decide which trade-offs made the most sense. 

Does this sound familiar? If so, stop reading here, make yourself a drink, give yourself a high five and congratulate yourself on working with a winning team and company. 

However, for those currently riding the choppy waves of uncertainty and feeling all at sea, the fight and flight emotions are probably bubbling very close to the surface. Consciously and subconsciously, you’re probably asking – what do we do? Who do we rely on? How do we survive? You could even be screaming HELP! 

For those of you looking for a life raft, we have created a short but informative guide to creating order in uncertain times. You may be a business leader or part of a functional support group where leaders look to you for encouragement and expertise. Whatever your role or situation when it comes to navigating the uncertainty in our world of work, we have combined our real-life experiences with leading research that examines high-performing strategic capabilities. 

By sharing these methods, we showcase the practices that successful and pioneering companies regularly use, allowing their teams to function significantly better in uncertain times.

Work Before Jobs –The more traditional approach of structuring work around jobs first does not suit the rapidly changing advancement in technology, the changing nature of work, shifts in workers’ preferences, and alternative work arrangements. Companies that assume a jobs-first operating model create a work system that is too rigid, significantly reducing their ability to operate and respond well to market dynamics. Considering the construction of work first creates the opportunity for diversity, creativity and innovation to flourish. 

Beyond Silos -It is essential for businesses to think and act beyond silos. Breaking down organisational silos leads to increased collaboration, innovation, and efficiency. Acting as a whole system fosters a more cohesive company culture, promotes transparency, and allows for better alignment of goals and strategies across the organisation. Ultimately, breaking down silos and aligning efforts to a healthy triple bottom line improves decision-making, faster time-to-market, and a more agile and competitive business.

Accelerating Value – While many organisations segment their workforce, they use traditional approaches like employees, high potentials, succession planning, graduates, apprentices and contractors. High-performing organisations do it differently. They approach their workforce segments as they would a portfolio of assets. They focus on which job roles create the most value, wealth or social impact. They have mastered the art of aligning roles explicitly to the strategy and differentiating how they segment roles into imperative, core, non-core and requisite. Following this practice means they are uniquely positioned to skillfully direct their efforts and investments to create remarkably engaging workplace practices.

Keeping it Human – People are at the heart of everything we do. However, with so many rapid changes happening all around us, it has become more crucial to view things from a human perspective. Therefore, finding ways to connect human, physical, and digital interactions seamlessly is essential for any company that recognises the importance of putting people first. While designing great experiences for consumers is widely accepted and makes sound commercial sense, applying human-centric system design to work configuration and workforce engagement is an emerging trend adopted by only forward-thinking leaders and organisations.

Taking Stock – For most businesses’ labour gaps and shortages are well-recorded and known. Dealing with these challenges is multidimensional, and short-term thinking rarely provides the necessary insight for understanding capability barriers that threaten strategic execution. By systematically gathering pertinent data regarding supply and demand factors both inside and outside the organisation, leaders can more clearly see the most significant risks and opportunities. This type of labour market scanning differs from the more traditional strategically focused SWOT analysis because it focuses on the workforce and the human capabilities necessary for mid-longer-term success. 

Seeing Around Corners – If only we had a crystal ball! But until then scenario planning will have to do. Many organisations enjoy the benefits of scenario planning for examining alternative versions of the future. One of the most significant advantages of scenario planning is that it is conducted through the lens of labour market factors that are relevant to the execution of the strategy. It allows leaders to explore, get creative and stress test how they will align their workforce with the desired outcomes. After all, a strategy is just a plan until it has the resources capable of delivering the dreams and aspirations of those who created it.  

Trading Off – Many issues get in the way when faced with making significant decisions. That may include stakeholders with political or personal agendas, incomplete problem-solving analysis, lack of experience and expertise, and absence of training in decision-making and tools that support the inevitable conversations. Without an excellent prevailing wind and a dash of luck, this often results in poor decision-making, unclear trade-offs, and weak team alignment. Without a simple but effective framework with transparent decision-making criteria, who acts as the honest broker when selecting available choices? Without this type of governance, incorrect assumptions and inherent biases creep in, and irrational thinking occurs. All in all, it is not a good recipe for making good decisions during challenging times. Situations are rare where there is only one option, and trade-offs are inevitable; therefore, it just makes good sense that the quality of decision-making is improved and embedded into how any team functions. 

The journey from chaos to clarity in turbulent times can be daunting but rewarding. By embracing the seven potent methods outlined in this blog, you can transform uncertainty into opportunity and complexity into simplicity. Strategic capabilities are your instruments, armour, and bridge to resilience. 

As you navigate through the storms of change, remember that clarity is not the absence of chaos but rather the ability to see through it with purpose and vision. Embrace these methods, adapt to the challenges, and emerge stronger, wiser, and more capable than ever before. Trust in your abilities, stay focused on your goals and let these strategic methods be your compass towards a brighter, more certain future.

Susan De Fazio 

Founder of Be Future Ready, Susan is an organisational effectiveness practitioner who specialises in implementing Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) and delivering masterclasses that help leaders, practitioners, and individuals master the World of Work.