Leaders can use ambiguity to encourage creativity and confidence
“Take advantage of the ambiguity in the world. Look at something and think what else it might be.”
—Roger von Oech
During one of my college summers, I worked for an earth-moving contractor and, being the new man and lowest on the totem pole, I was often tasked with asking the boss questions. They were never life-and-death requests, just clarifying questions. But I knew each one could be an opportunity if I played it right. Since he was rarely specific with his instructions, I asked questions like the following:
- “Hey, boss, did you want us to cut a swale into the end of the ditch or let it flow to the stream?”
- “Uh…Chief, you want me to match that benchmark at the wood line or grade it down?”
- “Where should we dump those loads of gravel?”
The boss was a terrible grouch, and the regular crew feared him. Since I was new and expendable, they thought, “Let the kid take the heat.” I saw right away that the boss was all bark and no bite, so I willingly played the part.
