Meeting ambiguity with velocity

In times of crisis, our first instinct is to slow down. If it’s a global pandemic, it may feel more like “come to a screeching halt.” It makes sense, right? The road is unknown, things are changing quickly, and plowing ahead may set you up for an unplanned cliff dive. But standing still can be just as dangerous, and a few months of non-movement as a business can leave you years if not decades behind. So it’s eyes up and forward march. But why is it that some companies seem to be better at adapting to the changing landscape than others?

A few months ago, I was reflecting on my work experience and observations born largely from working with West Coast versus East Coast clients. My experience over decades of working with established blue chip companies (think at least 100 years old) was that they tended to favor rigor and, not surprisingly, logic in driving sound decisions. When I transitioned to working for more West Coast companies (think 20 years old or younger) there was an almost opposite dynamic. These companies seemed comfortable working within ambiguity, and the trick was figuring out how to do great work within that ambiguity instead of seeking to eradicate it.

Here’s the thing: both are right. There’s a benefit to guidelines and process just as there’s an advantage to innovation and risk-taking. When I see companies thrive in times of uncertainty, young and old, it’s because they’ve taken lessons from both ends of the spectrum. In short, they’ve created a framework for ambiguity. By working with ambiguity in a systematic way, they’re providing the checks and balances necessary to correct direction as needed while still continuing their momentum. They’re meeting ambiguity with increased velocity.

Meeting ambiguity with increased velocity in a thoughtful, systematic way is the key to successfully navigating a rapidly changing landscape. If I knew it a few months ago I definitely know it now, even as the notion of “ambiguity” has taken on an entirely new resonance. There’s something emotionally comforting in finding that some of the same tools still apply, and that my natural propensity to take action (fly by the seat of my pants?) is still as good a bet as any. So I thought I would share some of the steps I’ve learned along the way.

If you’re ready to make friends with ambiguity, here’s how to get started.

The goal here is to embrace the ambiguity, but still be disciplined enough to define a singular problem that you are trying to solve. In reality, the challenge in front of you may be multidimensional, but sometimes you just need to define one dimension to move forward. I often found that in organizations that move quickly, the problem state is either broadly defined or often wrongly stated. If you interrogate the stated problem and relate it back to either a business challenge or a customer need, you’ll get a pretty good sense of whether it is the right problem to run at or not. And if you do identify multiple problems—prioritize. There’s usually a sequence where solving one will naturally begin to unlock the others.

Hypothesizing is my BFF. It is a really critical tool in beginning to address “velocity”—allowing a team to move quickly through relative ambiguity to still deliver great work. Today, there are more tools that allow you to get both quant and qual research fairly quickly, making the chances of true insight much more likely. But even if you aren’t able to do any primary research, fast synthesis of past learning and current landscape dynamics can still generate enough to help you hypothesize. I find that “narrative hypothesizing” where you build out a story or argument is really helpful. You learn quickly whether the argument can hold water, or whether it’s a weak hypothesis and you need to keep working.

One of the hardest parts about working in ambiguity is the natural desire to want to work sequentially. Ah, if only this were possible in every circumstance. But this is where the idea of “velocity” becomes even more important. It’s counter-intuitive to start on creative solutions before strategy is fully baked, or perhaps before insights are identified. But if you’ve done the hypothesizing, you have enough of a framework to understand what to create, and also where to modify when you need to (which you likely will.) My creative colleagues have become adept at understanding that much of the work they begin to develop will never see the light of day, because strategy work is happening in parallel. The creative work may not be bad, it may just prove to be “wrong” once strategy gets farther along. It takes a pretty amazing dose of confidence coupled with a rare lack of ego to really make this work. My hats off to our creative teams everyday for their winning combo in driving with velocity.

Sometimes I forget how comfortable I’ve become working in ambiguity. As new team members join projects for our clients, I’m reminded of just how overwhelming it can feel at first. And that’s where trust comes in. This style of work can take a lot out of you. But it can also be energizing and incredibly exciting. I remain in awe of the rabbits I see my colleagues pulling out of hats every…single…week. And I believe it’s because we’ve built a culture of trust that allows people to work this quickly, fail together, rebuild and build again. Trust is built from each discipline in the group bringing their best, and trusting in the rest of the team to do the same. Generally, there is at least one team member (from strategy or account) who is responsible for keeping the hypothesis thread in mind. They keep the team focused or re-focus as work develops. The lack of ego comes into play when it’s time to tweak, or even abandon good ideas that no longer serve the hypothesis. Having a shared goal, in a high degree of ambiguity, while working with velocity makes this kind of trust a necessity. Ideas are fragile, and they need care when they are being discarded or rebuilt. When you see creative leads who really know how to do this well, and validate the intent (if not the final idea) you see how valuable and motivating that skill is. Be a builder.

These four lessons have helped me and my teams deliver some of the work that I am most proud of, and have kept me nimble and flexible as a leader. When I think about the ambiguity we’re all living through right now, the language we tend to see is largely around inertia. And while it’s true that we must stay home to stay safe, it’s also true that our brains are free to roam. Defining problems, hypothesizing insights, breaking white paper and being a builder are tools I’ll use personally and professionally to help navigate these strange times we’re in. If we’re lucky, perhaps we can turn some of that inertia into ingenuity.