How to handle mixed messages as ‘freedom day’ looms

With ‘freedom day’ fast approaching, many people may be feeling confused and anxious. There seem to be mixed messages everywhere, and some might feel they don’t know what to do for the best. With the Delta variant spreading like wildfire, and with some still awaiting their second jab, the Prime Minister’s plan may seem a little premature, possibly even reckless. School bubbles seem to be bursting all over the place, and we are now in the midst of what’s being dubbed a ‘ping-demic’ as more are told to isolate via the NHS app.

Yet seeing 60,000 people at the Euros last weekend, and large crowds at Wimbledon, with apparently little social distancing, you’d be forgiven for thinking we are past the worst and can now get on with normal life. How do we all make sense of these apparently conflicting messages we are all seeing on a daily basis? When the responsibility to stay safe is in the hands of the people, how will everyone decide what they should do to keep themselves and others safe, while also trying to get their lives and livelihoods back on track?

We are living in a VUCA world right now. ’If you are not familiar with VUCA, it is a term first used by the US army war college in the 1990’s, and it stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Challenging and Ambiguous. It has been adopted by the business world to describe how many modern working environments sometimes feel, and it is also very much applicable to the current state of the nation. The situation is constantly changing, messages are conflicting, there are multiple and seemingly contradictory factors for decision-making, so there is no clear right answer. How do we all move from this sea of uncertainty and ambiguity to a position of clarity?

The answer lies in your own values and boundaries. We all have our own core belief system which we can return to to help make sense of a VUCA world. To survive and perhaps even thrive in a VUCA world we can draw on the principles of VUCA Prime. These are Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility.

Vision
This refers to your situational awareness and foresight - what is happening now and what might be coming down the track? Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

Understanding

This really means allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. The current situation may feel uncomfortable, even scary for some, and this is perfectly understandable. Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling, and recognise that it is OK not to feel OK.

Clarity

These are the ‘known knowns’ to quote Donald Rumsfeld. While there may be a lot we can’t control or foresee, there will be some certainties and facts that can help us anchor ourselves in a sea of uncertainty.

Agility

This refers to deciding on the best course of action, but remaining open to the idea of changing course if necessary. Having a plan feels good and gives us some certainty, but we also need to maintain some sense of agility and openness to change in response to environmental changes that might occur.

Ensure that you take the time to build and maintain your levels of Resilience. Photo Jonathan Bean Unsplash

We can also draw on our Resilience Reservoir, although for some this may, understandably, be a little dried up. If you feel your resilience has been depleted by everything 2020 and beyond has thrown at us, my 10 tips for building resilience might be helpful.

It remains to be seen whether ‘freedom day’ will be successful, and it symbolises many different things, depending on your own personal perspective and situation. I hope this blog will provide some support for anyone who is feeling apprehensive or anxious as we enter this next phase.