The best parents and leaders use a 3-step formula to help people handle uncertainty, says Dr. Becky Kennedy

Uncertainty can feel scary, whether you're a child or an adult. But in situations where you might not have control over an outcome, you can still help yourself and those around you feel more at ease with an unknown , just by how you describe a situation, according to Dr. Becky Kennedy, clinical psychologist and founder of parenting support platform Good Inside. Kennedy recommends a simple, three-step formula for parents to use with their kids and for leaders to use at work to help ease anxiety around uncertainty . It's a strategy every parent and leader "should commit to memory," she said during a talk at Charter's New Employer Brand Summit in New York City on June 9. The format is simple: Start with what you know Acknowledge what's uncertain Return to conclude with something you know again "Uncertainty doesn't make us feel unsafe as much as unnamed uncertainty," Kennedy said. Candidly admitting what you don't know, rather than glossing over it or pretending to have all the answers, she explained, can help the people around you feel more comfortable with change . Kennedy shared an example of a child wanting to make a soccer team. As a parent, she'd use the three-part formula to say: "Look, here's what I know: You've been practicing soccer, that's awesome. You want to try out for this team. …