F.E.D.U

We might be watching our team's performance. But are we monitoring what they're carrying?

There's an uncertainty-shaped weight that is being lugged around the office. The World Bank refers to it as Structural Uncertainty. World Commerce & Contracting refers to it as a New Operating Reality.

And we are all coming to grips with it: a world that feels less predictable than ever before.

And how it's being felt is worth naming:

FRAGILE - environmentally, the systems and certainties that we used to rely on are moving underneath our feet. Load-bearing structures are flexing and feel like they could give way. Some have already.

EXPOSED - personally, we're feeling it. What used to feel safe is feeling vulnerable. People are on edge. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. You might notice that their armour is thinner, and maybe your own too.

DISTANT - relationally, people feel further away. They're preoccupied. Calls aren't returned, attention feels divided. We're wondering what's behind it. It just feels harder to connect. And as distance grows, so do the disappointments and disagreements.

UNSURE - directionally, the path forward feels genuinely unclear. The playbook has changed, the signals are harder to read, confidence is waning. What should we focus on? What do we do next?

I've been using the acronym FEDU (fee-doo) - Fragile, Exposed, Distant, Unsure - to remind myself of the extra load that teams are carrying.

Putting a label on what we're experiencing doesn't necessarily solve it. But by making the weight visible, we make it feel a little lighter and, importantly, a little easier to carry together.

Have you noticed the extra weight in your interactions with colleagues, customers and suppliers?