Learning to Pivot in an Age of Uncertainty

Introduction

On January 20th I was glued to my television watching the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.  As I watched the proceedings, and later, as I observed him signing various executive orders, I thought about how our world was about to change very significantly. The policy changes introduced by President Trump appeared monumental, not just for citizens of the United States, but also, for governments and countries around the world.  It reminded me of a time, not so long ago, when the world was suddenly thrown into chaos by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While change is inevitable, the challenges this new American government is presenting are seismic.  Many of us, and particularly those who are working, will likely need to learn how to pivot to adapt for what is looming on the horizon.

Dealing with Change

Learning to pivot is a term that likely originated in the sports world.  Think of a football or basketball player who, when facing an opposing player, moves back and forth on one foot to evade his pursuer or protect the ball.  In life, as in business, learning to pivot implies the need to alter one’s strategy without changing the ultimate end objective.

A good example is a budget.  Let’s say you have a goal of annual savings $12,000 of your disposable income.  You prepare your budget, and you carefully track your expenses.  You look at your first quarter expenses, and you notice that your plan to save $1,000 per month  isn’t working out well.  Perhaps you had an unforeseen expense, or maybe some of your discretionary expenses (e.g. dining out) were more than a bit generous.  If you still believe that your savings goal is critical, then you can review your budget, and identify areas to cut back.  Maybe you cut out a streaming service.  Perhaps you cut back on dining out.  Maybe you forego that skiing trip you had planned for early in the spring.  The point is, you evaluate your options, and you make a decision on how to proceed. That’s called a pivot.

Life is about adapting to change.  In order to pivot though you first need to take stock of where you are, and where opportunities may exist.

1) Acknowledge the change and the consequences it will likely bring. Recognizing that nothing lasts forever, and that change is inevitable, is an important part of the pivot process.  Many times, people hang on to what is comfortable and wait too late to take advantage of new opportunities.

2) Keep an open mind. Don’t close yourself off to other options or possibilities. The old adage about “Never say never” applies here.  When considering options it is important to suspend initial judgements, and to evaluate each option on the basis of their pros and cons.

3) Be willing to learn new skills.  Learning new skills is important, particularly if a new process or methodology involves the deployment of new processes or technology.

4) Seek counsel and advice from others.  Having a group of trusted friends or advisors who can guide you, or offer counsel on what you could do, is important in your evaluation of different options.

5) Focus on those things that can be controlled.  Another old adage about “Not sweating the small stuff” also applies here. Recognize that there are some factors you cannot change such as world events, changing market conditions, or declines in certain industrial sectors or markets.  Focus on what is within your capacity to control.

6) Identify what adjustments and changes you may have to make in your routine.  Change presents challenges to our daily routine, our priorities, or the way we customarily do things.  Understanding that some adaptations to our schedule or processes may be necessary is an important realization.

7) Take a long-range perspective.  Whenever we adopt a new practice or technique it is usually followed by a period of discomfort or upheaval. Recognizing that this is to be expected, and that improvements sometimes take time, is important as a means of overcoming stress.

 

A Personal Perspective

Back in late 2019 I was doing a lot of in person, face-to-face coaching.  When the pandemic hit I was suddenly faced with the realization that meeting clients in person wasn’t going to be feasible for quite a long time.  The first change I made to my business was to get a Zoom account and start connecting online.

The second realization came as I watched my income shrink.  The outplacement firm I had contracted with previously, and from whom I secured a large number of clients, experienced a massive downturn in their client base.  I knew I had to adapt.  I had heard about some organizations that were hiring coaches to work virtually, and after applying to several I ended up being interviewed and hired by one of them. Within a matter of months my client load increased noticeably to the point where I actually had more clients in 2020 and 2021 than I ever had prior to the pandemic.

Fast forward to 2025.  The college where I’ve taught for six years is now being massively impacted by the cutback in foreign student enrolments across Canada.  During the pandemic I was teaching twelve hours per week which, for a part-time teacher, is quite a lot. Last term, my teaching load was cut to just three hours per week.  Given the current state of immigration I doubt I will ever teach again.  To compound my challenges, the coaching organization with whom I have  been working with has also experienced a precipitous decline in their client base. I suspect another downturn is looming.

Confronted with these challenges I suppose I could just “throw in the towel” and wait it out. However, truth is, there is no knight in shining armour waiting to rescue me.  It is up to me to decide how to deal with these circumstances.

My response has been to secure employment with a new coaching organization, and also, to actively seek out coaching opportunities in established institutions, something I had never contemplated doing previously. Will this be successful? Time will tell.  However, regardless of whether my change in strategy is successful or not the fact is that I am pivoting and not waiting for the tsunami of change to overwhelm me.

A Final Thought….

Change can be frightening and overwhelming.  Some are paralyzed in the face of threats and challenges.  However, we can no more insulate ourselves from the process of change than we can turn back the clock or alter the past.  Embracing change, and learning to pivot, is the way we can regain control of our lives and shape our future.