Working with Ambiguity
Turning discomfort into an opportunity for personal development.
Many of the conclusions reached in The Mouse point towards the need for balanced responses. Seldom are management options so clear cut that unsubtle reactions would be the best way forward. Yet, such approaches require one to be comfortable working with ambiguity, which can prove testing for leaders.
Ambiguity is more than just a lack of clarity or certainty. It is also the gut feeling that “something isn’t quite right” when one feels ‘on the fence’. Hence, the inherently subjective and often emotional dimensions of the concept make our response to it even more challenging.
One can learn to distinguish where the discomfort comes from, whether it is a lack of information, conflicting interests, or differing values. Each will decide where to draw the line, when to break away, or when to look more closely at ambiguous situations.
“Once we have identified its source, how can we respond to ambiguity effectively?”, asked the Mouse.
An effective answer may involve formulating a process. From the identification of discomfort to a plan to gather the information needed to take a stance, establishing a process shields us from feeling overwhelmed by ambiguity.
Though sometimes there is no space to voice our discomfort. In such cases, the reason is often personal and emotional, and to confront this hesitancy requires self-reflection. When analysing our own relationship with ambiguity, three factors should be considered:
First, is experience. Our ability to recognise an ambiguous situation, besides having a ‘stiff’ or avoidant reaction to it, stems from having lived something similar in the past, most probably something we have perceived to be a failure or shortcoming. If the memory and importance of such an event remains vivid, then it is either an opportunity to apply what we learnt the hard way, or to reflect and pay attention to our reactions accordingly.
If ambiguity is painful to the point that stress is in the driver’s seat, try to pay attention to the words and references you use to describe the situation and its stakes, or even your dreams and other manifestation of your subconscious. A friendly voice can be of great support in this case, be it a coach or a friend. (Though, one should refrain from rushing into problem solving mode).
Secondly, if ambiguity is rooted in experience, the perception of its importance can be highly personal and emotional. There is always the possibility to be wrong or biased due to personal triggers, or simply a lack of context.
In managing ambiguous situations, our ability to not take things personally is an asset. It allows us to give the benefit of the doubt to others without putting ourselves in mental danger whilst we decipher the situation and our reaction to it. A committed and balanced reaction would allow us to assert our needs, while being able to tune in to “the other side of the story”, which promises to be a valuable source of learning.
Thirdly, one should face the reality that ambiguity is a feeling rooted in a potential breech of trust. The fear that comes with ambiguity is not only failure, but also betrayal and the deep-seated sadness that goes with it, hence the difficulty in rationalising ambiguous situations.
It is difficult to trust someone who doesn’t share our values, but it is a freeing exercise to try. Indeed, it obliges us to search for mutual interests, for they might be the only common ground in the search for an agreement. In so doing, realism is the superpower of idealists.
One step deeper might be a lack of trust in ourselves, and in our ability to recognise danger if it were to manifest itself during ambiguous situations. This lack of self confidence turns the possibility of disappointment into an actual challenge, if not a self-fulfilling prophecy. Clarity becomes the kryptonite of people who are risk-adverse to uncertainty when their most valued stakes are at play.
Self-confident leaders will reflect on the rational, emotional, and developmental aspects that ambiguous situations invite them to explore and won’t let them derail their course. Breaking away from ambiguity can be a smart move, even when it is the conscious recognition of our own limits. The all-in-one culturally sensitive way to keep ambiguity at bay is to process our emotions and invite others to clarify their perspective in a non-confrontational, and sometimes humorous, way.
In a nutshell, ambiguity is not only part of the journey, but also a concrete sign that we are in motion. Whether we can respond instead of reacting to it, we can always learn more about fundamental leadership traits such as our relation to uncertainty, risk, and trust. It requires both self-confidence and the ability to deconstruct and analyse our reactions to ambiguous and stressful situations.
As an invitation to engage on that path, one can ponder which of the two following questions are most meaningful to them or which ones are easier to address, and why. Indeed, would you rather ask someone: “what would you classify as ambiguous?”, or “who would make you feel that a situation is ambiguous?”
Baptiste Raymond - 05/2022.