Finding Order in Chaos

I recently met with a new client. Someone who was unexpectedly thrown into a role as the result of a company restructure—without the pay or the title. She wants to do well, her job depends on it, but she’s not receiving much guidance. Our conversation centered around managing the ambiguity facing her.

Something that is ambiguous is open to interpretation. This leads to a cloud of confusion and doubt that halts your progress. 

Humans are wired to flourish within defined boundaries. We don’t dig anything that isn’t clear. Vague goals, shifting priorities, unpredictable outcomes—these things make us nervous. We don’t know what to expect. If we don’t know what to expect, we don’t know how to prepare. If we can’t prepare, how do we know we’ll be safe? 

See? Hardwired.

The most effective people thrive when faced with ambiguity. Whether you’re an employee or a solopreneur, mastering the skill of managing ambiguity will build your confidence and keep you cool under pressure. 

This is especially true as many of us are faced with uncertainty—the job market is buckling in many industries and solo business owners are concerned work will dry up soon. Accepting ambiguity keeps you sharp and ready to pivot..

How exactly do you bring order to ambiguity?

Employee Perspective: A Framework for Decision-Making in Unclear Situations

Ambiguity in a work situation has two perspectives: Your perspective (the employee) and the employer’s (or manager’s) perspective. When communication isn’t clear there a whole lot is left up to interpretation. 

This is a communication gap—you don’t know what the employer or manager wants (and they may not know what they want). This can devolve into anxiety. You’re expected to make certain things happen, but you don’t know how. 

What do you do?

Ambiguity is an opportunity for you to demonstrate leadership and calm under pressure.

Practical Framework: 

• Clarify: Ask targeted questions to uncover hidden expectations (e.g., “What’s the priority here?”).

• Assess: Evaluate available data, resources, and stakeholder needs to ground decisions.

• Act: Make a reasoned choice, even if imperfect, to maintain momentum.

• Reflect: Review outcomes to build confidence for future ambiguity.

I’ve been in management for most of my career. The lines of communication between some managers and their employees isn’t always clear. Unfortunately, this breakdown in communication happens frequently. 

There are many reasons why this communication snafu occurs. There are managers who lack solid communication skills. Then, there are managers who try to give their reports all the information they have, but someone higher up in the food chain has neglected to be specific. A total cluster happens when both upper management and middle management fail at communicating well.

Regardless, employees receiving the requests automatically feel confused by vague directives.

If you’re faced with a vague directive, write down a list of your questions and seek answers. However, don’t be surprised if you don’t receive any. 

I remember working on a project for an event with a tight deadline. There were no parameters and no budget, just this mandate: “We don’t care how you make it happen, just make it happen!” 

When I started asking specific questions about budget and the size of the event space, it turned out they actually did care. Armed with a little more information, I made decisions based on my assessment. I kept everyone informed. Somehow, the event came off without a hitch. 

What I learned from that situation is just because someone else is unclear doesn’t mean I have to be unclear.

Always keep communication clear and consistent. Summarize any discussions in an email and send it out to all stakeholders involved. This confirms everyone is informed and on the same page, and will alleviate stress.

If ambiguity isn’t managed appropriately, it can be an invitation for burnout. Try the framework on a current workplace challenge and share feedback.

Solopreneur Perspective: Decisive Choices in Business Uncertainty (400-500 words)

Solopreneurs are constantly faced with ambiguity, especially those leaving the structured 9-5 environment. Choosing a niche, setting prices, identifying marketable services or products—everything is ambiguous until you give it definition. The emotional weight tied to being your own boss can be heavy. You question every decision. I know, I’ve been there.

One of the things I love about being my own boss is the ability to make my own decisions. This is the opposite side of the ambiguity coin. However, I know it can also be overwhelming. Forming a solid decision making process can eliminate that out-of-control feeling.

One piece of the puzzle that must be in place is your business mission and vision statements. Why are you here? Who do you serve? Where are you going? 

Decision-Making Process: 

• Set Your Objective: What are you trying to accomplish (e.g., determine pricing for services). Anchor decisions to your business vision (e.g., “Does this align with my niche?”).

• Gather Insights (e.g., market research, A/B Testing): Use low-risk experiments (e.g., test pricing with a small client group) or research (e.g., competitor analysis). “Low-risk” is a personal definition based on things such as risk tolerance. My definition of low-risk is minimal financial impact. 

• Decide with Confidence: Commit to a choice based on insights, accepting that adjustments are part of growth. Once you make a decision you still need to gather insight. If you’re determining pricing one of two things will happen: (1) The market (clients) doesn’t blink an eye at your price. Maybe you’ve set a solid price, but it’s likely you’re pricing your value too low. (2) The market immediately rejects the price. It’s too high. 

• Evaluate and Pivot: One client rejecting a price is just a single data point. You need to gather multiple data points to observe a pattern. The pattern informs any adjustments you make. Don’t fear rejection; it’s going to happen. Rejection is data. 

My Final Word

Work projects and solo businesses are not presented with a troubleshooting guide to solve every challenge you’ll encounter. Don’t allow ambiguity to keep you stuck in indecision. Instead, define a process like the one shared above to pick a direction and forge ahead. This builds confidence, clarity, and control.

Everyday I’m creating content and coaching mid-career professionals to escape burnout and build purposeful careers. Every client I encounter has a new problem to be solved; one foreign to me. I don’t need to understand every aspect of their lives to help them. As long as I have a reliable process to follow (like my Deep Dive values-led plan for meaningful work), I can teach them to turn ambiguity into opportunities.

So, what steps will you take to move forward when faced with ambiguity?

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