Others’ actions can give us confidence as to what is ‘right’, especially when uncertain. How can you use the wisdom of informed others as a guiding light?
Feeling a sense of control over our situation can give us great confidence and overcome unease in the face of change. Where can you integrate choices that make people feel like they’ve “got this”?
Good or bad, almost every scenario can be reframed. How can you take someone’s efforts, no matter how small, and reframe them to boost confidence and motivation?
Acknowledging a person’s position amongst a group can inject new-found confidence. Where can you use status to highlight successful acts that others should follow?
Packaging multiple pieces of bad news feels less uncomfortable than drip-feeding it out over time and creating uncertainty. Where can you combine difficult decisions into one major announcement?
A fresh week, month or year offers a convenient opportunity for perspective-taking and a more rational assessment of work done to date. Letting go is hard, but iterative time segments with built-in pre-commitments around milestones can offer everyone a clean break from the past.
When we don’t know what to choose, we look for guidance. Defaults offer a great way to navigate the new. Where can you guide people?
Giving people a low-risk taster is a great way to test out the new without fear. Where can you provide moments to explore the unfamiliar?
Unfamiliar, hard-to-understand concepts will always trigger uncertainty. How can you simplify messaging to ease cognitive processing and therefore familiarity? For particularly-new ideas, how might you use existing metaphors to allow people to easily relate?
Too much choice can overwhelm, but a little choice allows companies to provide consistently for a range of differing tastes. Where can you use choice to provide certainty and therefore familiarity?
Those in control or whom we look up to can provide guidance in uncertain times. How can you use respected role models to do this?
We naturally follow others, especially in unfamiliar situations. How can you use others’ choices to help reduce risk aversion?
The future’s inherently uncertain and we’re always looking for clarity. How can you relieve discomfort by offering a degree of certainty?