Archive - September 2021

Belonging, identity and confidence in uncertainty

You might recognise a situation where an organisation’s strategy is unclear, poorly-defined, poorly communicated or in constant flux.  In this context, the role and place of any individual in the organisation (and especially a new recruit) can be unclear.  The criteria by which his or her performance is evaluated are also likely to be unclear or in flux, or even more unsettling, implicitly in flux.  As a result his or her confidence, their sense of identity, and sometimes even confidence in their survival, take a knock.  None of this is good news for performance or growth or development. Leaders can therefore begin to turn things round by being curious about what they could be more aware of, by enquiring into their reports’ experience, and by listening.