Sound Decisions in Uncertain Times

The past few weeks have seen unprecedented change in how businesses operate as we address the threat of coronavirus. With a myriad of real and perceived threats to human health and business health, nearly every owner and practitioner is on edge.

As the COVID-19 virus spreads across the U.S., businesses are asked—or mandated—to make significant changes to limit the spread of this disease. This pressure to make major operational changes and quick decisions in a time of uncertainty is an anxiety-provoking experience on many levels. How can I continue operating? Will I get sick? What if my staff all gets sick? What if I have no patients? What if I have too many patients? Should I shut down? Can I afford to shut down? How can I possibly weather this storm?

These questions are the voice of anxiety in a fight for survival. Whether you like it or not, threats to your health and your livelihood trigger survival instincts that create a sense of anxiety and urgency which cloud rational decision making. These instincts make things feel like a real and present emergency, even when things are ok in the current moment; the fear of a potential future emergency blurs into a faulty perception of the here-and-now.

It can be difficult to navigate business decisions on your own with such powerful forces at play. A skilled business guide can help you put your reactivity on hold and reengage in a process that results in conscious and deliberate choices, and not one commanded by your anxiety.

Using a deliberate decision making process does not alleviate the very uncomfortable experience of uncertainly. It’s not intended to. During uncertain times, you must simply learn to tolerate uncertainty. It is an unpleasant emotion, but not life threatening.

As business guides, we work with our clients to untangle their emotional experience from the survival drive to make reactive decisions. We have years of training and expertise in understanding emotions and how they impact business decisions, offering an essential tool for navigating the unprecedented turbulence of this time.

If you’re wrestling with making sound business decisions during this period of uncertainty and economic instability, give us a call. We’re here to help, and available in-person or through video conference.