Ambiguity and You
- Rich Grenhart
- May 22, 2018
- 3 min read
Strategic thinking. Change management. Political savvy. Decision-making. Interpersonal skills. Problem-solving. These and other leadership competencies lack the linearity that would make them amenable to formulaic solutions. They are fraught with risk and uncertainty. They contain the common thread of ambiguity.
Ambiguity has, of course, been a constant in human experience since the dawn of the species. We live now in what is probably the most ambiguous era of human existence. It is full of volatility, uncertainty and complexity.
Is this societal condition simply part of our human evolution, one that unfolded naturally, or were there catalysts that accelerated its genesis? Some point to a tipping point – the end of the Cold War. That event marked the beginning of the final decade of the 20th century. That decade saw the proliferation of technology in the form of personal computers, the Internet and mobile telephones, laying the groundwork for real-time communication, instant access to information, social media and all the unintended consequences of those miraculous advances. Things changed.
As life became more complicated, so did issues of national defense and security. In the early 1990s the Army War College introduced the acronym “VUCA” to describe the new and unfolding environment. “Volatility”, “uncertainty”, “complexity” and “ambiguity” were identified as emerging characteristics of the new global landscape following the end of the Cold War. VUCA has subsequently become a comprehensive descriptor of not only military and security environments, but of society in general, including business contexts.
Sunnie Giles recently wrote in Forbes (April 29, 2018):
The basis of competition has changed dramatically over time. The digital revolution of the 21st century has changed the rules of competition in a massive way, requiring flexibility and adaptability. Simply put, too many new things are being introduced, things are changing too fast, and things have become too interdependent for the topdown approach to work any longer. The foundation of business—competition—has changed. So must our leadership.
Great! So, how do leaders adapt to the VUCA environment and manage ambiguity to thrive in the technological age? Consider the following tips:
Get your ducks in a row. Gather as much data as you can and get organized. Anticipate ignorance and large amounts of missing data.
Focus on priorities. Prioritize and move forward. Keep your vision in mind, so as the priorities shift, your direction is constant.
Resist perfectionism. Be prepared to forge ahead and make mistakes. Remember that “perfection is the enemy of done.” If you need inspiration, consider the following quotes:
Voltaire: “The best is the enemy of the good.”
Confucius: “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”
Shakespeare: “Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.”
Try visualizing the problem. Consider a storyboard, mind map, fishbone diagram, etc. Making things visual can lead to perspectives that may be elusive when simply contemplating a mountain of complex data.
Reconsider risk and failure. Work diligently to expand your risk tolerance. Prepare to embrace failures as learning opportunities and steps to success.
Abandon sequentialism. Take action. Expect that small, incremental steps will be best. But do not expect to complete one task before starting another. Learn to tolerate acceptable loose ends.
Embrace feedback loops. Evaluate actions, recalibrate and move forward.
Empower others. Resist your urge to control when the goals cannot be reached single-handedly. Abolish micro-management.
Polish your crystal ball. Train yourself to look around the corner, beyond the horizon. Practice forecasting and hypothesizing about possible future developments. Brainstorm with others.
Leverage your confidence. This is for your own benefit and the benefit of those around you. Avoid defining your value in terms of knowing all the answers. Remind yourself of what you DO know and what you have accomplished. Maximize your flexibility when facing the novel and unique. Make use of your “gut” (See Blink by Malcolm Gladwell)
Ramp up stress management. - for yourself and others. The human brain despises uncertainty and loves control. It’s hard-wired that way (see “primitive survival mechanisms”). Ambiguity is a major stressor. Prepare to utilize all the stress management techniques at your disposal – and look for more.
One last thought – although the following predates the concept of “VUCA” by a few decades, it has relevance for confronting the challenges of ambiguity:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)
Sources:
Giles, S. (2018). An unconventional new job description for every leader in a complex age. Forbes/Leadership/#LifeHacks, 327. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/sunniegiles/2018/04/29/an-unconventional-new-job-description-for-every-ceo-in-a-complex-age/#74cb94c239f9
Lombardo, M. and Eichinger, R. (2009). For your improvement: A guide for development and coaching. Lominger International.
Scisco, P., Biech, E., & Hallenbeck, G. (2017). Compass: Your guide for leadership development and coaching. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.
