Well, the ‘negative capability’ to which I refer has been around since 1817, long before the concept of coaching or consulting became a ‘thing’. It was a created by the Poet John Keats no less & he described it as the capability to be comfortable “of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason”. Over 200 years later I think we can all agree that he knew a thing or two about what was required to operate as a leader in today’s climate.
If this is something that you or members of your team are struggling with just now – then know this…it is a perfectly normal & acceptable way to feel given the level of change & ambiguity that exists at both a local & global level at present. Whilst everybody has their own way of viewing the world I don’t think I am too wide of the mark in saying that the idea of being more ‘negatively capable’ is something we could all do with a little more of in times like these.
So, what can you do to develop your ‘negative capability’?
Well, my ‘go to’ on coping with change & uncertainty is Miller & Rollnick’s ‘Motivational Interviewing.’ Don’t be fooled by the title as it is an approach widely used in many sectors from healthcare, leadership, education & sports to name but a few. They would offer…
· Change & comfort with it, emerges over time
· Ambivalence (wanting & not wanting something at the same time) is a perfectly normal part of this process
· Using yours or your team’s experiences & perspectives to generate reasons for change & embracing uncertainty is key
· If you experience resistance, that is fine, sit with it, as pushing against it usually just serves strengthen a commitment to the current reality.
..& I would add
· Avoid the need to draw targets around bullet holes to pretend everything is going to plan – it rarely does & your team can see this. Your honesty & humility in the face of uncertainty will help build trust
· Become a ‘dealer in hope’ – your optimism in an individual or team’s ability to get there, could just be the difference between success & failure
If you are interested in learning more about how you personally can better manage change & uncertainty for yourself, your team or your organisation, then contact me at rupert@strongerhumans.com – no poetry, I promise.
