Emergenetics International just released a new workshop in North America called: The Uncertainty Solution. [1] Hear from Brooke Vincent, Solutions & Training Specialist, as she shares more about how the program came to life and how it helps teams and leaders make better decisions and take action – even when ambiguity and change remain constant.
Outside of North America? You’re still welcome to connect with us about this program. We look forward to expanding it to more regions in 2027.
Jenn (JD): Thanks for chatting with me, Brooke. To start off, what’s happening in our workplaces that makes it so important for teams and leaders to build skill in navigating uncertainty?
Brooke (BV): We’ve had rapid change in our workplaces. The introduction of AI is the most obvious example, and it’s only one of the many things that employees are navigating.
Rapidly shifting conditions create a level of uncertainty, ambiguity and honestly, concern. It’s really hard to operate in this sort of environment, and these fast cycles of change are not going away.
This workshop helps people use the Emergenetics Attributes to understand when pressure impacts their ability to think expansively and make smarter decisions. It also gives people the tools to use the Attributes to find a way through constantly evolving environments, so they don’t feel like they’re stuck in a sea of change and unable to make any progress.
JD: What does uncertainty actually do to how people think and make decisions?
BV: Sustained uncertainty uses up a lot of attention. When attention is stretched, we lean on what’s familiar, and it gets harder to step back, weigh other options and think creatively.
That’s when we tend to make mistakes.
Think of it like you’re driving down a highway. You make a wrong turn because you’re used to taking exit 101 to go home, and you were supposed to go to exit 104 to get to your destination.
That’s autopilot at work. It made a decision that was natural, yet not actually needed in that moment. You have to realize you’re going in the wrong direction before you can choose a different route.
We can apply that lens to Emergenetics too. Under sustained uncertainty, we can get stuck relying on one approach. Sometimes that’s one of our preferences, and sometimes it’s not. Familiar approaches often work well. Changing isn’t the problem; getting stuck is.
In fast-changing environments, we need to access a broader level of thinking and new perspectives to get unstuck and make better decisions, and that’s right when our brain wants to go on autopilot. That scenario is exactly why we built The Uncertainty Solution.
JD: What are some signs that uncertainty is limiting a leader’s or a team’s ability to perform?
BV: Before we even get to objective performance metrics, we often hear things like:
- My team keeps meeting, and we still can’t make a decision
- The same conversation keeps coming up
- We understand the direction yet can’t make progress on these initiatives
- We have to redo work constantly
Another signal comes from our behaviors. Maybe you’re usually on the quieter side, and under prolonged uncertainty, you’ve gone even quieter in meetings. Or, you might suddenly find yourself wanting to process what’s going on out loud.
That doesn’t mean that your Behavioral preference has changed. It’s a signal worth noticing, and the question to ask is whether it’s helping.
JD: What makes The Uncertainty Solution different from other resilience or change management trainings?
BV: A lot of change management trainings or resilience programs prescribe a very specific regimen or linear path to apply to every situation, and that regimen usually ignores the nuances of a situation and the complexity of each person.
The Uncertainty Solution gives you a personalized approach that uses the Emergenetics Attributes to uncover what YOU need to move the needle on a specific challenge you’re experiencing.
We know from Emergenetics that, while we may share the same Thinking preferences, the intensity around those preferences and how they interact with our behaviors, means that we all show up a little differently. And, that’s just one of many facets of who we are as people.
We’re not saying because your Profile is X, you should do Y. We’re giving you a repeatable process to:
- Uncover what’s happening for you as you’re dealing with a complex, ambiguous challenge
- What approaches you’re relying on, and what you may be overlooking
- What you need to do to take a productive next step to move forward
JD: The repeatability of this process feels especially important in my opinion.
BV: It’s powerful! Uncertainty is part of life, right? What I like about the concept of a method is that it can be replicated to uncover your best next step because the same solution may not be the right fit for every situation.
That level of prescription isn’t helpful in the long run either. Critical thinking is a really important skill in the age of AI. [2] This workshop teaches participants to critically evaluate their own behaviors and thought processes while learning to engage different perspectives and flex what they’re doing based on what the situation requires.
It has great applications for teams, too. If I, as an employee, can articulate to my supervisor that I’m under pressure, I’ve been stuck in Analytical thinking and I need to lean into people right now, then my supervisor can support me in that request.
It’s less of a question of: “What’s wrong with Brooke?” Now, it’s a collective opportunity to help our teammate work through a challenge.
JD: How does this workshop build on the Emergenetics framework and our essential workshops?
BV: It’s an evolution and a great exercise in flexing – something we often talk about and need to get practice with!
The Meeting of the Minds [3] and Team Dynamics for Small Groups [4] help participants understand how they and others prefer to think and behave so they can use that people data to communicate, collaborate and perform more productively.
This workshop explores how those preferences may show up under pressure, and they don’t always look the same.
Think of it like this. I describe myself as a pretty happy person. On most days, I’m smiling. I’m joking. I’m having a good time. That doesn’t mean on Tuesday, October 20, that I am happy. My mood can shift even if I usually am in good spirits.
The same is true of our Profile. I prefer to operate in a particular way. On a day-to-day basis, though, I may flex into different spaces depending on the circumstances. [5] It doesn’t mean my preferences have changed. Our test-retest reliability is high because preferences generally remain consistent.
The Uncertainty Solution reveals how pressure might shift the way a person behaves and thinks in a particular circumstance. Then, it helps you identify what Attributes will allow you to make progress on your goals or get unstuck in your challenge.
It takes work to flex into Thinking and Behavioral styles that we don’t prefer even when we know a situation calls for us to show up differently from our usual approach. This program is special because it gives people a starting point to do just that.
If you really want to see a shift in performance in how your people are responding to ambiguity and uncertainty, this is the next program for you.
JD: Tell me a bit about the participant experience. What do they walk away with?
BV: Participants learn why sustained uncertainty narrows the options we see. They experience a low-stakes challenge so they can notice what happens in their own thinking and behavior when things are unclear.
Then, they get hands on practice applying The Uncertainty Solution Method (Notice, Name, Widen, Act, Learn) to a real-life workplace challenge. They notice what’s changed compared with their usual, name what they’re relying on and what they may be overlooking, widen by asking what would help the challenge move forward, choose one specific action and plan how they’ll learn from it.
They walk away with a specific action to make progress on their challenge, which they start before they leave, a review date in their own calendar and the Method card with the five steps they can replicate in the future for any uncertain situation.
JD: Who is The Uncertainty Solution best suited for, and when is the right time to bring it in?
BV: It’s best for groups of leaders or intact teams who already have their Emergenetics Profile and have been through a workshop like Meeting of the Minds or Team Dynamics for Small Groups. As I’ve shared, participants walk away with a method that they can apply to any scenario when uncertainty, ambiguity or pressure leaves them feeling stuck or like their usual problem-solving approaches are not working.
So, I’d ask: When do you want to be able to work through the uncertainty you’re experiencing?
I would say now is a good time to try this given all that is going on in our world, and it comes down to when you or your team are ready to make progress rather than feel stuck.
JD: We were part of a session a few weeks ago with a group of leaders who participated in the workshop. What was one of your main takeaways?
BV: When you can help somebody recognize – on their own – what they need to do to tackle a really uncertain situation, that’s a win in my book. And what I loved seeing was that every attendee left with a specific next step to address a workplace problem that challenged them. It took work, and everyone had something concrete to implement that they felt would help them move forward deliberately and wisely.
JD: What would you tell someone who wants to bring this program to their stakeholders?
BV: Other than fill out the form below, I would say to make sure participants have their Emergenetics Profile and come with a real challenge they’re working on. This is a powerful program that can help people think clearly and act decisively even when things are moving fast and conditions are changing. And, they have to be willing to thoughtfully evaluate themselves and the environment they’re in.
JD: What’s one thing a leader or HR partner could try this week to help a team that feels stuck?
BV: Since we probably can’t get to your company this week, here’s where I’d start: awareness.
Teams need to accept that they’re struggling before they can think differently about a situation. That acknowledgement is the first step toward choosing a different response.
So, start with awareness by asking your team: What’s changed in how we’re working lately? Is it helping? What might we be overlooking?
For more guidance on what to do next, learn more about The Uncertainty Solution. Join Brooke for our lunch and learn on October 28 [6] or fill out the form below to connect to our team today!