Many of us are reflecting on what is happening to us right now, and there can be many answers, as varied as we are. One of these may be a state of general Confusion, whether conscious or unconscious.
By Confusion, we mean a feeling in which we no longer recognise ourselves, where we lack clear and certain points of reference, can no longer replicate established habits and behaviours, and do not know what lies ahead or what timeframe we can look towards… rather as if our compass has stopped working, leaving us unable to find our bearings in a world that once felt so familiar and which we no longer recognise today.
In a state of Confusion, it becomes difficult to interpret feelings, information, and contextual data. Contradictory impulses arise within us, typically marked by an urgent need to react. In this state, where on the one hand we struggle to interpret what is happening and on the other feel an urgency to act, a haze of risk and the potential for error takes shape—one that can frighten and paralyse us.
The current landscape no longer offers a “comfortable” realm of the known and predictable. Instead, it pushes us into the realm of the hypothetical and the vague, stripping away the “anchors” we have clung to and grown accustomed to.
This reality must be accepted and managed with new approaches and new models, both mental and organisational.
We cannot and do not want to stand by waiting for a “new” reality; we must imagine, shape, and build it.
What can be important to do?
Here are a few insights that may help loosen the paralysing grip of Confusion and finally allow us to take action again:
- Pause: suspend routine thinking and habitual action to create space for the new, setting aside what is familiar, habitual, and well-trodden to clear the ground and create a blank page.
- Listen to ourselves and to others: giving ourselves the privilege of being with ourselves, choosing to embrace silence, and giving voice to what is truly happening within and around us is an act of great value. It allows us to discover—or rediscover—what has truly become important and what we genuinely desire.
Take the time needed to listen generatively, letting fragments in without judgement, remaining open to what is possible and what is yet unknown.
- Set new priorities: start from the present state, the here and now, to design our future and consider our needs and the essential things to envision, plan, and build—guided by a single question: “why does this matter now?”
Let us begin to fill the blank page with genuine priorities.
- Decide on small steps: in today’s landscape, unable to foresee with certainty what will happen, when, and for whom, the opportunity lies in defining “small steps” for each priority. We need to identify “the whats” that can guide our actions and lead us out of confusion, while remaining ready to adapt them without undue distress if the scenario shifts.
- Let go of perfection: to stay grounded in a fluid and undefined environment, we need to make things happen quickly, remaining ready and open to changing direction and continually evolving. Let us simply do our best within our small steps, mindful that perfection does not belong to speed.
Confusion unsettles us, strips away certainty, and disorients us. It is difficult to fight, and even harder to control. Let us instead try to accept it and experience it as a transitional phase—not letting it paralyse us or sap our energy, but using it as an opportunity to discover how to act differently. Let us be guided by trust in action, because it is far better to act and risk making a mistake than to remain, and leave others, trapped in the oblivion of inaction.Written by:
Lucia Grazi
Senior Partner at Hermes Consulting
