INVESTMENTS & PENSIONS
Every single Uncertainty Expert 1 ( UE ) we ’ ve met was able to take a life-altering decision and , even in the face of incarceration , exile or death , they ’ ve seized opportunity . They ’ ve taken a moment of calamity and turned it around to change the lives of themselves , people around them and people they ’ ve never met . This isn ’ t because they ’ re superhuman .
UE ’ s research partners , Centre for the Study of Decision-Making Uncertainty 2 at University College London ( UCL ), are learning that , although our brains trigger us to run to safety , we also have the ability to teach our brains new lessons . Think about the facts behind muscle aches after a good workout : it ’ s a symptom of growing strength . Well , uncertainty can allow our brains to create something new .
Up until recently , it was thought that our brains stopped laying down new pathways in our 20s . But more recent evidence is clear : well into our 50s 3 , our brains are still ripe and ready for laying down new pathways and keep growing .
THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
Right now , loads of us are feeling stuck by short term fears . That makes it difficult to choose new paths or products . So , when we ’ re talking with people who rely on our advice , by understanding that our clients are likely to be coming to us in a state of uncertainty , we can talk through the longer-term risks of today ’ s decisions and ask : in ten year ’ s time , is this the decision I ’ ll be really proud of ?
Or , maybe you ’ re grappling with something big . Take a breather . Look at your own life and your career , and think about the most rewarding and memorable moments . Was the path to success predictable ? Was it a fait accompli ? If you ’ re like the Uncertainty Experts whose insights informed the work we presented at the CIPD 4 , I ’ m guessing not .
I ’ m happy to bet that those big brilliant moments carried uncertainty and risk . By balancing longterm gain with short-term pain , you were navigating yourself through fear and towards success .
THE POWER OF UNCERTAINTY
As we sail into an evermore uncertain year , let ’ s look to tools that can be relied upon , proven by lived experience of individuals who are battle worn , backed up by science and research , and the evidence of the thousands of people who have been through UE so far . In a long term world , riddled with short term thinking , I believe these are the kinds of tools that we all need ourselves and can use to help others .
If you ’ d like to hear more from Sam Conniff and the Uncertainty Experts , you can watch the second and most recent webinar here , in which you ’ ll learn how to regulate your emotions for business success . 1 https :// www . uncertaintyexperts . com
2 https :// www . ucl . ac . uk / pals / research / clinical-educational-and-health-psychology / research-groups / centre-study-decision-making
3 https :// www . goodtherapy . org / blog / change-is-a-choice-nurturing-neuroplasticity-in-your-life-0930154
4 https :// www . cipd . org / uk / knowledge / bitesize-research / transforming-uncertainty /
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