A Message From Peter
Welcome to the fall issue of our newsletter. This time out, the newsletter has the same great content, but the name has changed. The new name is Ignite!, which reflects the name of my new book, Igniting the Third Factor: Lessons from a lifetime of working with Olympic athletes, coaches and business leaders.
I suppose the concept of Third Factor requires some explanation here, so without going over the whole book, let me give you a short summary. My mentor Dr. Kazimierz Dabrowski suggested that a person's development is based on three factors: nature (genetic make-up), nurture (upbringing), and a third factor. To put it very simply, this third factor is the role that a person chooses to play in their own development. The concept of Third Factor is obviously more complex than that, but you get the idea. The book itself is about the skills that great leaders use that target -- or as the title suggests, ignite -- this third factor in others to help them develop to become the best they can be.
If you want to know more, the book will be available from us in November and from bookstores in February. We will be in touch with you shortly to let you know how you can buy an advance copy for leaders in your organization.
In this issue of the Ignite! newsletter, the feature article is on dealing with uncertainty. I initially wrote the article several months ago -- well before the stock market's demise -- and it has even more relevance now than when I wrote it. In my podcast I touch on today's uncertain times and also talk about the upcoming 2010 Olympics, in Vancouver. The "Ask the Expert" piece has some great suggestions for maintaining life-work balance, which is especially timely given that change and uncertainty make achieving that balance much more difficult -- and much more necessary.
We'll be back in your inbox soon with information on the new book. Stay tuned!
Peter's Podcast
In the podcast, Peter discusses the value of coaching as a management style during uncertain times. The best coaches prepare their athletes to adjust to constant change and unexpected circumstances, which, after all, is what "uncertainty management" is all about. Peter also talks about the growing excitement for the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, especially related to his activities with the Canadian women's hockey team.
To listen to the Podcast in .mp3 format, simply click the 'Listen Now' link below. If you wish to save the Podcast to listen to later (or even transfer to your iPod), 'right-click' the link and choose 'Save Target As...' to save it to your computer.
Dealing with Uncertainty
By Peter Jensen
Most of us, beneath the surface at least, have a strong need for structure and order. We want to hold the world still. Yet the world is not a still photograph -- it is a motion picture. The world we live in today requires that we be comfortable with change, incongruence, opposites and discontinuities.
Even an elementary understanding of physics can help us grapple with this need we have for order in an unpredictable world. Chaos theory, for example, demonstrates that the dance of chaos and order are two complementary aspects of the same growth process. The caterpillar and the butterfly are two temporarily stabilized structures, or stages, in the evolution of the same system. The disequilibrium or uncertainty occurring between these stages is also an evolutionary stage and, like everything in the universe, is temporary.
An awareness that comes when one takes up meditation is that there is only one certainty in the world: things arise and things pass away. It is true of the leaves on the trees that bud each spring and die in the fall, it is true of our lives, and it is true of our thoughts and feelings. Everything is temporary. Intellectually this is very easy to understand, but actually living without reacting to inevitable changes in our day-to-day life is challenging!
Uncertainty Leads to Growth
When we look back and really examine periods of chaos in our lives we see that the phases of uncertainty were also the phases of growth that led us to our current state. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ira Prigogine, in his theory of dissipative structures, demonstrates that disorder can be a source of order and that growth is found in disequilibrium -- not in balance. Looking at so-called "chaos" in our work world as a challenge to grow can be very instructive. We can redefine our relationship to change, see it as a personal challenge and make a commitment to grow.
I spent over a year working under the tutelage of Kazimer Dabrowski. His theory of moral and emotional growth was called the Theory of Positive Disintegration. It is "positive" because if a person possesses the will to move toward higher development, then out of the disintegration grows even higher levels of awareness and growth.
Strength in Numbers
Now we don't have to face uncertainty all by ourselves. Relationships play a key role in the life of a person and a particle! Margaret Wheatley points out that relationships and connections are inherent to all living systems, even the smallest. In her book Leadership and the New Science she says, "Particles come into being and are observed only in relation to something else." We too only come into being in relationship to others. We often have the illusion that we have a choice around whether or not we are connected to others . . . but it is an illusion; we are all connected. Calling upon that connection in times of chaos serves us well.
Support seeking is a very critical skill in times of change. When we are between trapezes -- say, in middle of a transition or facing change -- a safety net is of real value. One aspect of our safety net is our ability to connect with others who are dealing well with the same chaotic changes as we are and ask them for help, support, advice, or whatever it is they can contribute based on their life experience. It is a liability today to not be capable of asking for help or to discuss with others their ideas for moving through chaotic times. Many a person has floundered or drowned with a "lifesaver" but a call away.
Inner Strength
Another asset in dealing with chaotic changes is personal power. We need to know that we have the inner capacity to give and get what we need. We need to know that we have the ability to meet the challenges, make things happen and make a difference in our world. Feeling in control is the best stress manager when uncertainty is all around us. We need to be able to "make sense" to ourselves even if we can't make sense out of what is happening in this moment.
In truth the only control you really have is over yourself; all else is uncertain. Being the one constant in all you face, in all your situations gives you a lot of control. You can rely on yourself -- only the unknown is scary. Therefore, get to know yourself inside out, especially under pressure. Self-knowledge increases your resilience.
None of this is to suggest that you need to go it alone, however. If you believe your strength lies in doing it all yourself, think again.
I'm sure some of you remember or have experienced the simulation game Gold of the Desert Kings, which deals with the issue of adapting to uncertainty in a survival situation. Consistently, those people who tried to rely on their independent "strength" of will and drive died in the game. Inner drive and competitiveness can be a wonderful strength and take you very far. But like any strength, when taken to an extreme, or used when not required, it becomes a liability.
Many years ago Alan Watts wrote a very profound book called The Wisdom of Insecurity. His key tenets are that "the highest happiness is found only in our awareness that impermanence and insecurity are inescapable and inseparable from life" and that "the only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." And because it is a dance, as we suggested earlier, we will need to consult with other dancers in the troupe when the music gets a bit frantic to find out how they are keeping up with the tempo.
Lessons from the Young
We need only watch today's younger generation to see how quickly they embrace the rapid changes in our world and then move on, not needing to hold things still, but rather, accept, learn and adapt. In the process of embracing continuously emerging technology they have become more connected to one another and to broader and broader circles of people around the world than at any other time in our history.
Let's applaud and learn from their alacrity. They may just be moving in the right direction.
Ask the Expert
In the last few years I find I am having more trouble trying to balance the demands at work and it's beginning to effect me at home. Are there things in the mental training program that you use with athletes that might help me?
Karyn Garossino, PCI Coach
As someone who has spent years working with others on personal high performance under pressure, I am often asked this question. Believe it or not, this is one I really enjoy answering because there are a number of steps anyone can take that will help to balance the demands of work and home.
The good news is that by noticing the impact of the demands in your life you have opened a window into the effects of your behaviours and choices. This awareness is a gift. Athletes make a science out of that kind of observation in order to constantly improve their performance. If your performance and relationships have begun to reveal the signs of wear and tear the first thing to do is view it as an opportunity for positive change. Once you've done that, you can begin to apply a number of strategies, which we teach in our mental fitness program, The Inside Edge, that can make a world of difference.
Let's take a look at two related issues to the question and what you can do.
Scenario 1: You feel spent at the end of your day and your response to any request is "I gave at the office." You dream of having energy for your family.
Energy management is critical, and bringing awareness to how you approach your day will determine how you feel at quitting time. An integral piece of high performance for athletes is rest and recovery, so they structure their day consciously, inserting several points of rejuvenation. It is a misconception that they eat, breathe, and sleep their sport. They do not wake in the morning and run consecutive marathons all day. Metaphorically, neither should you. Envision your perfect day as a series of intervals (yes, even with that huge "to do" list).
Identify a number of activities that energize you -- some that take a minute or five, some that take 15-30 minutes. Ensure that you insert these into your day for the mindful purpose of taking a break. That brisk walk or stretch or joke or song on your iPod or friendly conversation will allow your system to pause and rejuvenate.
A constant depletion of your personal resources all day leaves you with very little. So, act like an athlete and take some breaks! Ironically, you'll go farther and feel stronger at the finish line.
Scenario 2: You are physically present with your family, but your mind remains at work. You want to be able to focus and pay attention "in the moment."
Without a conscious shift -- a definitive transition from your workplace to your home life -- the ever-present demands of work will be a magnet for your focus, constantly pulling your attention. One of the most difficult yet important skills for athletes is being able to choose what they focus on and limit mental distractions. You can do the same.
First, use your commute wisely as a transition process. Ask yourself each day: "What do I need to do on my way home that will enable me to let go of work?" During the commute finish some thoughts, enjoy the silence or use music as a mood enhancer. As you approach home, use centering breaths to exhale the stress of the day.
Then, through the use of imagery, which is one of the most powerful ways that we communicate with ourselves and influence our performance state, visualize exactly how you want to connect and interact once you get home. See yourself there; get a clear image of actions, faces, dynamics and feelings. How do you walk through the door? What do you say or ask? How do you contribute to the energy in the house?
Creating this ideal gives you a mental model of your intention to truly be with your family. This picture gives your mind a specific alternative to focus on when at home, so that if your thoughts drift back to work, you can redirect them back to your image. In time, this will become easier, and the magnetic pull of work-related thoughts will be reduced.
In summary, becoming more aware of your energy level throughout the day and where your thoughts are in the evening will allow you the opportunity to self-correct. Those adjustments can keep you on track as you balance the demands in your life.
For more skills and strategies to assist you in the worthwhile endeavour of work/life balance consider our program The Inside Edge - Mental Fitness for High Performance. With these skills, high performers of all kinds face enormous pressure with confidence. You can too.