In his famous Ted Talk, Ken Robinson pointed out the flaws in our education system. You can watch the video by clicking this link. Seth Godin observed that our current education system is designed to turn out compliant workers. There is no scope for creativity. From our childhood, we grow in an environment where there is only one right answer, and we ought to answer at the speed of light. The grading system is based entirely on those two parameters.
Then we step into the real world. Suddenly collaboration, teamwork, and managing uncertainty are the essential skills. We are ill-prepared for these things. A large part of our responsibility as adults is creating the future. And my definition future is uncertain. Many times we are not sure of what should be the next step. The outcome of our actions is also uncertain.
Is there a way to be comfortable with being uncomfortable?
I use these three approaches to manage ambiguity.
I advise businesses on various matters. Many times, the client poses a difficult question for me. They expect me to know. Quite frankly, I do not have an instant answer or solution to their problems. Initially, I used to freeze. Then, I realized that I need to be truthful and humble. The best answer, in such situations, is I don't know yet. I found that this response opened up the client, and we discussed the issue in greater detail. We worked together as a team. Most importantly, vulnerability built trust.
Whenever a client posed a question to me, my thinking went into what should I do next? This is a very reactive way of responding. I consciously alerted myself when I thought along those lines. Instead, I reminded to ask myself, what could I do next? The word "could" opens up a lot of options. It makes you focus on alternatives and makes the thinking divergent. We are taught many rules in our school. This ingrains the "should-know" thinking in us. So, we need to train ourselves to think in "could" mode.
We can't solve problems by focusing too much on them. It is critical breaking the routine to let our subconscious mind focus on it. I find a lot of answers during my gyming sessions. Long walks, runs, and reading also has given me many eureka moments. These activities break the monotony and provide fresh perspectives.
Metrics:
Keep a note of how many times you think in terms of "shoulds" Tie a thread around your wrist or wear a colorful watch or do anything that can work as a reminder. This wearable will trigger and help you move away from the "should" mode to "could" mode.
Track how many times you suppressed your urge to respond when you did not know. Make it a habit to say you don't know in such instances.
Set a time limit for almost every activity - meetings, phone calls, social media, writing blogs, exercising, etc. Take a break when the alarm goes off. This will help you switch between focused and diffused thinking.
Subodh
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