From The Director's Chair
Reinventing Normal - Learning to Live With Ambiguity
by Joan Caruso
What has struck many of us here in New York City in the aftermath of the mega-downsizing of late 2008 and early 2009 is that what we are feeling is so reminiscent of the way we felt after 9/11. One client told me about looking out her office window at the parade of box-laden employees exiting a dying Lehman Brothers and feeling a similar sense of shock, sadness, and loss. That made me think back to what we were talking about then: How companies couldn’t go back to managing the way they did before 9/11. We needed to redefine normal. The same is true today. The old, pre-recession normal is gone.
Those who have jobs feel their leaders have let them down. They’re saying, “We followed you and look at the mess we’re all in.” People are working because they’re self-motivated or compelled by economic pressures. They’re no longer looking up, and they know there are no promises or guarantees any more.
To succeed, a company needs employees who care about the organization, its goals, and the outcome of their work. Someone needs to re-instill confidence, faith, and trust within the organization. Someone has to re-inspire and re-motivate. Someone has to help employees find their footing and provide a path for them to follow. The only people who can do that are the company’s leaders.
Corporate leaders find themselves in the midst of ambiguity, doing a job that is more critical and difficult than ever. Accustomed to collecting information as the basis for decision-making, they face the dilemma of finding trustworthy information and answers at a time when so much is in flux. No one can know for certain when things will turn around or how long a full recovery will take. Many are feeling embarrassed by the knowledge they share some responsibility for where we are today. They’re uncertain how to turn things around and get people to trust them and believe in their companies again. It’s a huge task. Where can they go in history to look for role models and inspiration? Leaders who bring on crises of this magnitude are generally replaced. But this situation is different. Responsibility is widespread. Many corporate leaders who made mistakes did so with good intentions, trusting the information they were given.
Now is the time for leaders to take inventory of what’s going on with them and step up. They can’t wait for all the answers because it’ll be too late. Feeling embarrassed, stuck, or paralyzed; going to extremes of perfectionism; looking to find and place blame – none of these responses is productive. Leaders can’t wait for things to go back to normal because the old normal is gone.
In the discipline of Organizational Effectiveness, there is a competency we refer to as Dealing With Ambiguity. I think this will be a critical success factor for leaders as we go forward. People who are good at dealing with ambiguity are able to
- Shift gears comfortably
- Act without having all the answers
- Feel comfortable when things are up in the air
- Move on without first getting a sense of closure
- Deal with risk and uncertainty
Comfort with ambiguity can be developed. Think of the military officers in combat zones who are called on to lead their troops into the unknown. At Ayers, we find ourselves coaching leaders around issues pertaining to flexibility, courage, and the value of reflecting before acting. We have found that some leaders become paralyzed by uncertainty while others act without thinking, perhaps with the intent of reducing their own anxiety. Coaching provides the opportunity to tailor a plan to the unique needs of the leader. The process is often intense, but the payoffs are great.
And can your company really afford to ignore the issues? During these times of ambiguity and uncertainty, we encourage our clients to evaluate whether their leaders need to be moved toward a more balanced reaction to uncertainty and a more productive approach to managing their discomfort with ambiguity. Consider the cost to the company when leaders are unable to deal with it.
The results will justify the efforts. Leaders who can get into the comfort zone and deal with ambiguity will be true leaders in the new normal. They will be able to create a vision and find ways to motivate others to follow them in spite of the uncertainty.
For information about how the Ayers OEC Group can help with your executive coaching and other development needs, contact joancaruso@ayers.com or 212.889.7788
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