Lead through change, discover your team’s hidden potential to thrive in uncertainty and increase employee motivation plus an actionable tip.

It used to be that the only certainties in life were death and taxes. 

Approaching 2025? 

Death, taxes, and constant change. 

And with that change comes unrelenting uncertainty. 

Today’s leaders are facing the rapid change that comes with a Supercycle, However, unlike previous Supercycles that came with, for instance, the steam engine, we are in the midst of three technological advancements (AI, Biotch, and Connected Ecosystem of things). 

Combined, these technologies will cause unprecedented global shifts that will change everything. It’s no surprise that with this unparalleled change, even our best performers are feeling tired, worn out, and at risk of burnout.  

How can we lead through change effectively, while increasing employee motivation?

Whatever we’re doing, isn’t working. 

In fact, 80% of US workers feel like they are at risk of burnout in 2024. 

A staggering 71% of Canadian employees want to leave their jobs in the next 12 months, the highest ever seen, as reported by Hays. And it’s not only employees, as one-quarter of leaders report feeling burned out often or always.

If you’re looking for a new approach to building a positive workplace culture and increasing employee engagement, it’s time to explore the hidden culprit behind burnout and employee dissatisfaction: our decreasing ability to navigate ambiguity. 

You’ll get practical strategies and tools to help you and your team not just survive, but thrive in the face of uncertainty. And, if you’re a tyrant, who only cares about the dollar dollar bills? 

(I know you’re not, but let’s go with it for the sake of my argument).

Consider that disengaged employees cost the global economy $8.8 Trillion in lost productivity annually, with stress and burnout leading to anxiety and depression contributing to an estimated $1 trillion in losses.

Ouch.

The truth is, certainty feels comfortable, but it’s a disappearing commodity. We’re left with constantly wondering what is going to happen next, and it’s unsustainable. Not only is it affecting our mental health, but it affects our decisions, our approach to creativity, and more. 

How do you think your team is managing through this uncertainty? Do you think you lead through change effectively? To find out if you and your team are change champions or ambiguity averse take this free quiz.

When Kevin Hart was asked to invest in early Uber, he thought it was the stupidest s*#t he had ever heard – Strangers giving people rides. And, he has a point. It sounded so weird and ambiguous at the time. How would that even work?

Well, it did work, because  Uber make 37.2 billion dollars last year. How?

Certainty. 

Certainty Sells. 

How many of you have stared, like me, at the little car on the app make its way to your location, providing details like  the make and model of car, driver name and star rating, how many minutes until arrival, license plate, and PIN number to triple-check that you have the right ride?

The Problem: Certainty is compelling… but it only feels good for a while. We live in a world that craves certainty. We want instant answers, detailed plans, and predictable outcomes. This desire for certainty is an outdated evolutionary adaptation to the question, “Will this help me or hurt me?” 

Millions of years ago, in caves with dial-up internet, if we didn’t know for sure that something was safe, it was a threat to our survival. 

Fast-forward millions of years, and the world has changed, but our instincts to survive have lagged behind. 

Why is seeking comfort in certainty a problem? Because our adaptability to lead through change, and our fortitude to sit in the discomfort of the unknown to seek novel solutions, are directly linked to our mental well-being, capacity for innovation, and emotional intelligence. 

Yet, uncertainty is unavoidable. If we try to avoid it, chasing certainty at every corner,  we limit our potential for growth and create a culture of fear and stagnation, resulting in a fixed mindset instead of a lush green growth mindset  

The Ambiguity Paradox: How Uncertainty Impacts Employee Engagement and Burnout

Uncertainty is stressful, and our ability to tolerate uncertainty (because we’re not exposed to it) is also stressful. 

 For instance, Role Ambiguity, when employees are unsure of what exactly they should be doing, is highly predictive of burnout.

AND 

If we have a low tolerance for ambiguity, usually because we have not addressed this critical skill by practicing facing ambiguity, it is also predictive of burnout.

“It’s for your own good!” you might hear from the deep recesses of your mind, about the discomfort of moving forward through uncertainty. It’s kind of like eating brussels sprouts or doing Burpees until you pass out. Not always good, but in moderation, yes?

Because, despite our best efforts, AI bots, detailed change management programs, SOPs and flow charts, we will never be able to remove all uncertainty. 

Decreasing ambiguity and resolving uncertainty is important when it’s possible, but we also need to expose ourselves to ambiguity, and apply techniques and strategies to improve our resilience to ambiguity when it’s out of our control. We need to use it, or lose it.

An Ambiguity Workout to Develop Leadership Skills and Increase Employee Motivation Through Change 

One of the biggest complaints I hear from leaders? 

“My team won’t take ownership of solutions!” 

These leaders are constantly putting out fires, which leaves them exhausted and unable to use their creativity to drive innovation to effectively lead through change.

Sound familiar? Think about it: when you face a problem, do you immediately reach for your phone to consult Google? (We’ve all been there!)

This reliance on external answers can become a learned behaviour within teams. If employees always turn to you for solutions, they miss out on developing their own creative problem-solving muscles.

Here’s a simple way to turn that around: the next time someone brings you a smoking hot problem, gently slide it back across the desk. Ask them to come back with at least one potential solution – even if it seems implausible.

For extra points? Ask them to provide for two solutions. One that might work, and one that might get them fired. This helps practice the skill of problem solving. 

Why this works:

• Builds confidence in uncertainty: By encouraging solution-seeking even when the answer isn’t clear, you foster a “we can figure this out” mindset.
• Fosters creative thinking: Wrestling with ambiguous challenges forces the brain to explore new possibilities and connections.
• Develops ownership: When employees generate their own solutions, they become more invested in the outcome.

A word of caution: This approach requires embracing a little vulnerability. You’ll need to be comfortable with “messy” solutions and potential missteps along the way. But that’s the beauty of creativity – it’s through experimentation and iteration that true innovation emerges.

Fostering a culture where employees feel safe taking risks, sharing ideas, and challenging conventions will unlock their creative potential and build a team that thrives in the face of ambiguity.

But here’s the catch: fostering creativity requires embracing vulnerability. To effectively lead through change means to embrace messy solutions, unexpected detours, and a few missteps along the way. 

This is the uncomfortable ambiguity of creativity, and the uncertainty of how things will work out allows for true innovation. 

To nurture this environment, leaders need to get a bit vulnerable and creative, too. 

Think back to what brought you joy and a sense of flow before the pressures of your career took over. Was it painting, writing poetry, building things with your hands? Reconnect with those activities that sparked your creativity and share them with your team. It’s a powerful way to build trust and show them that it’s okay to embrace the messiness of the creative process.

And, by rekindling those interests? You’ll be building your own tolerance of ambiguity.

For example, I love to craft fun and surprising events, so I might volunteer to design the end-of-year celebration invites or decorate the staff room. Perhaps you’d rather craft a pivot table to track the expenses for the party and ensure that all discounts and points are tracked and managed? It’s still creative and very important.

By fostering creativity, organizations can equip their employees with the skills and mindset to not just tolerate ambiguity but to leverage it as a catalyst for growth and innovation.

A Case Study: Lead Through Change With a Culture of Innovation with Creative Problem Solving at Chewy.com 

If you’re not convinced that leaning into ambiguity works, consider how Chewy.com uses creative problem-solving as their $11 Billion competitive advantage in the pet food industry. 

Customers often rave about the customer service at this pet supply e-commerce retailer because front-line customer service agents are encouraged to find creative ways to wow their customers. 

When a customer complains to a Chewy associate about their keyboard? The employee finds an unused keyboard in a storage closet and sends it to them. Surprises like pet portraits, flowers and more, delight loyal customers and keep employees engaged.

Because, employees who feel like they are using their creativity are half as likely to be looking for a new job. Let’s try to dial down that statistic of 71% of people who want to find a new job in the next 12 months in your organization.

Prevent Burnout, Embrace Change, and Turn Uncertainty into a Competitive Advantage

Tolerance of ambiguity is not about eliminating uncertainty. It’s about learning to navigate it effectively and harness its power to drive creativity and innovation. By embracing ambiguity, organizations can:

• Disrupt and Innovate for Future Success: When we have a grasp on our response to uncertainty, we’re more likely to challenge the status quo and explore unconventional ideas.
• Increase Adaptability and Resilience: Teams that can tolerate ambiguity are better equipped to handle unexpected challenges and adapt to changing circumstances. If you want to prevent burnout, decreasing role ambiguity and increasing tolerance of ambiguity should be part of your strategy.
• Boost Employee Engagement and Retention: When employees feel empowered to navigate uncertainty and contribute creatively, they’re more likely to be engaged and committed to their work.
• Boost Organizational Health and Decrease Expenses: A successful organization has employees who see ambiguity as an opportunity, who have clarity on their role expectations, with a manager that has their back when they take creative risks to innovate. With lower absenteeism and less turnover, organizations can spend time on making a better future instead of chasing talent like a dog after its own tail.

Next month, we will explore my 3-step “AmbiguiC” framework for embracing uncertainty and more quick-win strategies to lead through change more effectively as we approach 2025. 

For now, remember to ask your employees for at least one solution next time they ask a question (even if it’s wrong) and let me know how it goes! 

If the solutions get a little silly? Congratulations! 

You’re creating an environment primed for creativity and innovation (and a little bit of fun, too, which never hurts). 

Want to explore these concepts further in your organization?

Take a quick quiz to find out how your team stacks up on ambiguity tolerance.

Do you have a training budget left for 2024? 

It’s like ambiguity tolerance – you know the drill – use it or lose it. 

Are you ready to transform your team into change champions? As a leadership consultant and keynote speaker, I can help you assess your team’s ambiguity tolerance and develop a customized workshop to improve employee engagement and innovation. 

Book a no-obligation  30-minute shoot the breeze call, to, well, shoot the breeze.

I’d love to help you support a high-performing team. I promise I won’t sell you anything on this call; it’s just focused on providing some ideas for your team. I am passionate about helping others reap the organizational and personal benefits of applying creativity and ambiguity, and my dog has already heard it all. 

I’ll embrace the ambiguity and assume that if you are looking for a leadership consultant, engaging workshop facilitator, or funny motivational keynote speaker, then you’ll ask.