Dealing constructively with ambiguities

Increasing complexity and diversity mark today's world. Information is available abundantly but is difficult to verify. Social norms are watered down and the pace of change is more rapid. Therefore, competencies to deal with ambiguities, contradictions and insecurity are more and more important for leaders.
Ambiguities appear everywhere and in very different forms:
Information that seems to be difficult to grasp or unacceptable to our norms; divergent assessment of facts, e.g. results of studies; contradictory expectations and requirements;
organizational conflicts of objectives, that show up as a fight for the budget;
contradictory behaviors of a person, or cultural conditioned differences, that invoke insecurities.
Ambiguities result from opposing (paradoxical) incentives. Ambiguities that remain unconscious can become incriminating. They appear as discomfort and stress. The consequences are emotional actions, prejudiced evaluations, and over-simplistic solutions.
During the seminar, participants are encouraged to deal with ambiguities with the help of their own examples. The participants learn to distinguish between solvable and unsolvable inconsistencies and they practice a method called "crossing", which uses ambiguities as a source for new developments.

Young leaders, executives and project managers, who have to guide diverse, intercultural and interdisciplinary teams.

The objective is to develop and to extend a competency to handle ambiguities.
The participants will

• - understand different forms of ambiguities and learn to distinguish them
• - analyze their own situation in a leadership role towards ambiguities
• - reflect on their own difficulties with ambiguities and enhance their self-reflective competencies and the ability to process emotions and stress
• understand the consequences of unperceived or suppressed ambiguities
• experience and deepen three paths to deal with ambiguity:
  • to enhance the personal level of tolerance towards ambiguities,
  • to reduce ambiguities,
  • to use the potential of ambiguities in a constructive manner
• assess which solution works best in a given situation, and, in doing so, enhance their decision-making competency
• test how to deal or solve ambiguities with the help of case studies and transfer this exercise into their own leadership situation

We recommend pre-interviews to ensure a successful seminar for all participants and to set a focal point. During the workshop we will adapt flexibly to the respective case examples of the participants.
Reference to the participants' experiential world
Collecting and describing one's own experiences of ambiguities.
Filling in missing forms of ambiguities from the collecting above, with case studies.