When uncertainty rises, performance often drops – but it’s not just about risky, it’s about whether you feel in control. A surprising psychology study using electric shocks and virtual snakes shows that people are more stressed when they can’t predict outcomes, even if the danger doesn’t increase. That means building mental agility and a sense of agency are key to staying resilient in unpredictable environments.

https://swiy.co/go-snakes-under-rocks

Last week, I was speaking at the Financial Advisers Association of Australia National Congress, talking about being fit for the future – especially about being able to manage uncertainty and still perform well.

It’s obvious that people do worry about their future, and also that it affects their performance. But you might be surprised to know what contributes most that stress.

In 2016, researchers conducted an experiment to measure the relationship between stress and uncertainty. They designed a computer game where participants were asked to turn over rocks on the screen, and were given a mild electric shock if there was a snake under a rock. The researchers could change the game in two ways: Increase the danger by placing snakes under more rocks, or increase the uncertainty by moving the snakes between each turn.

As you would expect, participants felt more stressed when there were more snakes. But they felt even more stressed if they didn’t know whether a “safe” rock might have a snake under it next time. They would rather face a dangerous environment with more snakes, as long as they felt confident they could eventually determine their location.

In other words, they were more stressed by uncertain outcomes than predictable negative outcomes.

This is true for all of us. We’ve been through a lot of disruption and change – five years ago, it was COVID, now it’s AI. Tomorrow? Who knows?

One of the key skills for the future is the ability to be adaptable and flexible. Like it or not, that IS our future. And we need to manage a world full of change, uncertainty, crisis, and chaos.

I’ll be talking about that, and other future-ready skills, in my upcoming online presentation. It’s free, public, and open to everybody. So please register – and invite your team and network as well.

I’ll see you in the future.

Register for the virtual masterclass:

https://swiy.co/go-snakes-under-rocks

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