In the U.S., unemployment is rising and the markets are falling. The price of oil is flirting with new highs and weakening consumer confidence threatens global markets. If we aren't on the verge of a U.S. recession, we're not exactly in the comfort zone either.

As the Fed considers its next move, you should be thinking about yours. Are you pulling in the spending reins and hunkering down or continuing full steam ahead in the hopes of plowing through a temporary blip? Clearly there's no one sure-fire strategy, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest that short-term thinking isn't the answer. Yet, inevitably, that's the route many, if not most, companies will choose.

It's an American tradition: in the face of hard times, you cut the workforce, cut marketing, close down innovation, and do everything within your power to meet analysts' estimates. But at what long-term cost? The price of rebuilding the workforce and reigniting R&D is steep, and the timeline long. In many instances, we’d be better off sticking to our plans and seeing the hard times through. Instead of spending all that money, time, effort, and emotional capital on cutting people and programs that we’ll later have to replace, I’d like to see leaders have the nerve to stick to what they believe is in the best interest for their organizations. They should focus their time and energy not only slashing budgets but on making the case to shareholders that a bit of short-term weakness is the surest road to long-term gain.

What's your uncertainty strategy?