PART VI

FIGHT FEAR

Fear. It’s pervasive. I’ve seen you sweat and heard you cry. The organization is under pressure to innovate, and you dread being left behind. Downsizing? You might lose your job. Maybe there will be a merger or a new acquisition. The robots are coming. The company’s computing platforms aren’t competitive enough. You aren’t keeping up with the systems.

In the face of uncertainty, we are more likely to turn inward, defaulting to fear and restricting our field of vision at the very moment when what is most needed is an eager embrace of other perspectives and a willingness to experiment with new ideas.

You can’t know what you don’t know if you keep on talking to the same people. It’s lonely at the top. And at the bottom. And in the middle. Survival in volatile, ambiguous environments requires agility and wisdom. Here’s the moment to secure a place for new voices (from inside and outside of your organization) and create true partnerships through shared experience. No matter where you sit at the office, work is more fun when you are not afraid.

Make the first move. Step outside your comfort zone, invite others in, and build bridges. Find common ground and relax into conversation by connecting first as individuals not as representatives of a cause or employees of a company. Don’t underestimate the importance of a little small talk and certainly attend to the details that promote a fruitful exchange or you risk wasting everyone’s time at an awkward gathering. Being an artful host is a form of diplomacy, don’t leave things to chance.

This Part Is for You If

•   You are ready to be courageously curious.

•   You’re told to be the market disrupter. Easy for the board, boss, or analyst to say. But how? The only thing disrupted is your sleep.

•   You are out of ideas.

•   It’s not just the engineers, all of your colleagues seem to be speaking in code. What are they talking about?! There are so many acronyms and devices and apps.

•   “They” are fast, but you are s-l-o-w.

•   You don’t know what you don’t know, but you do know that you don’t know the answers—and the questions are getting harder and your heart is pounding faster and you are in the spotlight. You can’t hide. And you can’t breathe.

•   The invitations were accepted. The money to bring everyone together was invested. There are diverse voices in the room, but the group is afraid to talk. No one’s making eye contact. It’s too quiet. It’s awkward and you’re embarrassed (publicly).

•   The competition is coming! The competition is here! And they don’t look (or think) like you.

•   This connected, small world sounds good in theory, but you feel suffocated, overly monitored, and exposed.