Don’t mind the gap – embracing the uncertainty of change

‘Curiosity arises when attention becomes focused on a gap’ wrote leading Behavioural Economist George Loewenstein, ‘the curious individual is motivated to obtain the missing information to reduce or eliminate the feeling of deprivation.’ These words came to me today following an enlightening coaching conversation with my own coach around my struggles with change. Yes, even us coaches find change and specifically the ambiguity around change challenging!

The most valuable and sustainable behavioural change can’t be rushed, it requires us to change our mindset and think in new and creative ways, which can only be done when we have the space to think…truly and imaginatively think.

Unfortunately, in the fast-paced and ever changing world that many of us live in today we often fail to value time spent in the gap between old and new, the old way of being and the new. If we cast our minds back to March, right from the go we started to see LinkedIn full of posts about business’ new ‘COVID’ offerings. This is all perfectly understandable, a crisis hits and we go straight into planning mode, but are we losing real insight by doing this? Could allowing curiosity to enter this space of uncertainty, this gap between the old and the new, produce more creative ideas? How often, when we think of new ideas do we plump for the first one that comes to mind when actually, spending a little bit more time would enable more creative and potentially better solutions?

This week at the 2020 Henley Business School Conference we learned of the neuroscience behind this. Fascinatingly, when we are thinking about what we need to do, the two parts of our brain, the one that plans (the Central Executive Network) and the one that allows us to think imaginatively (the Default Mode Network) only function one at a time. And the latter works best when we are doing very little, i.e. in the ‘gap’. By slowing down and embracing the space of uncertainty before change rather than rushing to plan for change, can arguably lead to better and more creative solutions.

So what does this look like in practise:

1.     Try not to get panicked into rapid change for fear of missing out. Use the time of uncertainty between the old and new to be curious about creative and imaginative opportunities.

2.     Your sense-making around change is going to be different to others so listen to yourself. If you need more time, take it and use it wisely.

3.     Your first idea is not normally the best one you will have, be curious and allow your mind to expand.

4.     Slow down and give your brain the time and opportunity to work its magic.

If you are interested in finding out some more about coaching for change please do get in touch, hello@melanielansbury.com