Some Strategies for Uncertainty and Ambiguity:
One frequent challenge is people who are unwilling to say “I don’t know” or “I was wrong”. If people can’t own what they don’t know or their mistakes, then the focus becomes on protecting – either my ignorance or my error – without regard for the impact to the organization. When that’s the case, there’s no chance of taking the necessary hard look at reality, as of right now, and determining the next best step regardless of ego, authority, or anything else. In order for people to say “I don’t know” or “I was wrong,” the organization’s values and policies, in actual practice, must support the desired new behaviors. It has to be okay to make mistakes, to take risks, to not have all the answers immediately. And being okay needs to be at a cultural and policy level – it can’t mean limits to promotability and/or financial reward.