It’s been an interesting last few months for our profession. Every day brings change, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, except that the changes often lack permanence, meaning that the changes are not fully thought through, realistic or built around any specific rationale or direction. In a few days, multiple messages about a process or practice may come from the federal government changing direction multiple times, leaving state agencies, local schools and districts to either change course each time, or not change at all. 
Neither of these two solutions is good for learners and learning in general.
So, what can we do since we can’t stop the changes? Here are three ways to bring a little more certainty to constant uncertainty.
Narrow the lens
I’ve written quite a bit about how I’ve grown significantly as a leader by recognizing that there will always be elements of the work that are out of my control. As a fairly Type A personality who likes to be involved in decision-making, I have grown a lot to overcome my own needs and recognize that we only have a finite locus of control. The benefit of learning this lesson is that I have become increasingly well-equipped to narrow my lens and worry less about what I cannot control. This doesn’t mean that those larger-scale decisions do not impact me or my work. But it does mean that decisions within my locus of control can be more effectively addressed. And, as long as I am working with others to make changes that we can make effectively, then maybe we can be more prepared for the changes that live outside of our control.
Here’s a quick example of how that has worked. My team needs a new administrative member to help us run several programs and create new areas of focus in the arts disciplines. However, there were constraints on how that position could be designed, and a series of steps had to be taken over time to get to where we are now. Earlier in my career, I might have lamented the time and work that needed to be put in on the front end to get to a clear result. However, I now recognize that my perspective is but one and moving people to understand it takes time and a willingness to look through a narrower lens.
Build a team of those who relish the unpredictable
I half live by this idea. My team is incredibly varied. I have several team members who truly dislike change and love specific rules, guidelines and lanes. I also have team members who love pushing outside lanes, hate rules and forget (sometimes on purpose) set guidelines. Another area in which I have grown? Appreciating the latter team members just as much as the former. It used to be that I wanted predictability in my team and worked hard to build that level of alignment. I still appreciate rules, and I also recognize that uncertain actions can sometimes be necessary to move work forward in uncertain times. For example, one of my team members regularly tries different methods to move hiring practices forward. There is an element of this that I don’t love, in that there is a clear process for engaging in this work. At the same time, however, his pushing the envelope in this area has allowed us to refine some of our larger practices for smoother hiring long-term. There is, of course, a risk with always operating in this manner. Getting a reputation for being unpredictable creates environments where trust and responsibility can be harder to earn. However, when those relationships exist, it becomes much more about effectively communicating and continuing to refine boundaries. I can appreciate the importance of leading and learning in this way.
Just say “no”
I recognize there are some times and places where this can be employed and others where it can’t. Repeatedly telling your supervisor “no” or refusing to abide by laws and policies won’t necessarily end well for us, and sometimes, saying “no” comes across as being unable to accept other perspectives or ideas, and we don’t want to appear as if we are not capable of being flexible. Instead, in this case, I mean saying “no” in the sense of not making changes until a proper process and rationale is provided. Why? Since we know change is hard anyway, we want to make sure that we can provide a clear reason for the change to those we serve and avoid asking people to change too many times in any one time period. Change takes energy, and if we sap that energy, people are more likely to get entrenched. And if that happens? Then we are unlikely to get any change at all. Recently, in working with some team members, I provided the finality of a “no” regarding a few areas around a move to a new location. This wasn’t to be a frustration. Instead, it was meant to help the team decide on key barriers and guidelines without adding more uncertainty.
There is no way to stop all uncertainty. There are, however, ways to put more certainty into what we do. And by adding more certainty into uncertain times, we can help change become more fruitful while continuing to support those we support. How do you bring certainty to uncertain times?
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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