Making friends with ambiguity ??

Welcome to Quick Confidence! This weekly letter delivers a spritz of stories, tips and simple actions that will build your confidence and your power. Each quick tip bolsters confidence in your body, mind, and relationships so you can lead yourself and others to greatness.?

The other day, a Gen Z professional asked me, “What skill or habit should I get a head-start on now?” Looking at his eager face, I was surprised when I said without a blink, “Get comfortable with ambiguity.”?

What do you think? Would you have answered the same way? A different way??

Let me make my case. Cal State University defines managing ambiguity as effectively coping with change; the ability to shift gears comfortably; and deciding and acting without having the total picture. A study even shows that people are more likely to trust and cooperate if they can tolerate ambiguity.

The thing about ambiguity is that it can be pure kryptonite for those of us with perfectionist tendencies – who prefer to feel mastery in their craft and to know what to expect at all times!?

But life has been anything but predictable for much of the last 2 years, and it makes sense to assume that we’ll face unknowns throughout our lives (hopefully nothing like a global pandemic, though!) It doesn’t serve us or give us confidence to freeze in the face of uncertainty. We must make plans, move them forward and bring others along with us.

So how can you get more confident with ambiguity? How can you learn to actively shape the future – instead of going along with or reacting to it??

Try these strategies to build up your ambiguity muscle and your confidence!

Quick Confidence Tips to Build Up your Ambiguity Muscles:

1. Embodied: Translate your information into a visual. Thoughtfully sketching the spinning thoughts in our heads can be really empowering – and illuminating! It’s a lot like when we make quick sense from looking at a bar graph, versus staring at a bunch of numbers. In your life, this could mean developing an iceberg diagram where you articulate what’s above the water line or surface (the known) – versus what’s below the surface (the unknown). Or it could mean charting out your assumptions next to each of the plans on your path. It could even mean using a fishbone diagram to analyze how each move you plan to make is connected to or dependent on another.??

1. Interpersonal: Poll a group to gather new insights. Sometimes the knowledge we need to confidently move forward is sitting right there – but it’s untapped or unrealized. So, think of some data you could gather from stakeholders, users, clients, or perhaps those on the front line, to get a helpful window into what you could do next. This could be a brief, anonymous survey, a small focus group or a series of 1:1 interviews. Even one new realization or eye-opening response could help shape your next move. And it doesn’t need to be a huge move, it’s fine if it’s an incremental one.
2. Mindset: There are fewer absolute truths than you might think. Decide you’ll see the positive in *not knowing everything*! Use your experience and creativity to look for alternative uses for the processes, products or systems you already have. For example, grab a piece of paper right now and do a quick exercise with me. Ready? Try to come up with 5 alternative uses for a cinderblock. Okay, great! Whether you said an anchor for a boat, a kitchen step stool – or something else – you used flexible thinking and originality to think of alternate uses. Keep doing this when you’re faced with ambiguity or the unknown – it’ll reduce effort, increase your comfort with change, and invent new pathways forward!

We all know how to live with ambiguity — frankly, the pandemic forced it upon us. But actually embracing ambiguity with confidence is a valuable skill that makes you a sought-after leader and team member.? All you need to do to sharpen the skill is apply some of these strategies.?

And while yes, ambiguity in the workplace especially can sometimes be stressful, it also encourages innovation and agility and ensures you’re evolving.

So the next time you’re in an ambiguous situation, remember that ambiguity is a GOOD thing! Remind yourself, I can handle this — even when I don’t have all the details.?

Now, I’m curious to hear from you: what’s your answer to the question I was asked?!

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