VISION & STRATEGY www.ceotodaymagazine.com 54 Most of us aren’t comfortable with uncertainty - we’re hardwired to dislike it. According to research, people experience more feelings of stress when faced with an uncertain outcome than they do when they’re confident of a negative outcome. As soon as we’re unsure what comes next, our instinct is to restore a feeling of certainty as quickly as possible. So, what can we do when our jobs require us to get comfortable with unpredictability? The concept of mental agility is born out of research into the areas of learning agility, psychological resilience, and innovation, and has become a key skill required to navigate today’s workplace. Mental agility refers to being flexible in responding to events and new situations, while moving between ideas nimbly and quickly. When you’re mentally agile, you’ll be comfortable with complexity. You’ll be effective at thinking on your feet and solving problems, and you’ll grasp new ideas and concepts that help you to find new and innovative solutions. If you can learn to become more comfortable with uncertainty, you’re more likely to find opportunities when facing obstacles and, rather than avoid the situation, find a way to tackle challenges headon quickly and effectively. Netflix: A case for agility An example of a company that has adapted to changing circumstances frequently is Netflix. The business has successfully shifted its business model several times to align with consumer demands and advancements in technology - and grown exponentially because of it. The company started in 1997 as a mail-order DVD rental company, pivoting to a video streaming platform in 2007. The business developed into a distributor of original content and is today an entire media company that has won Academy Awards. This willingness to recognise when the businessmodel was at risk of becoming obsolete due to where the world was heading and completely reinventing the customer offering according to the market needs has allowed the company to thrive. It has been able to do this because of a commitment to listening to customers - continuously analysing user data and then using this steer strategy. It will be interesting to watch how agile Netflix’s response will be to changes in audience needs as we start to navigate how we move past living and working through a pandemic. What can we learn There are four things we can learn from Netflix about using mental agility to navigate an unpredictable environment effectively: 1. Accept the situation and focus on the need for change instead of fighting against it. 2. Take the time to process a changeable landscape. The desire to restore certainty during moments of crisis is what pushes many leaders to make rash decisions instead of sitting with uncertainty until a considered decision can be made. 3. Get creative about approaching the situation from different angles instead of falling back on tried and tested methods. Brainstorm ideas and seek out diverse opinions to spark innovation. 4. Focus on a growth mindset - the belief that talents are not innate gifts; rather, new skills can be developed by learning from experience. Steps to develop mental agility At the heart of it, mental agility consists of four components: cognitive flexibility, whereby you can view situations from various perspectives; curious perspective, which means you’re motivated to learn more about areas you have knowledge in, and you want to broaden your knowledge to
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