Ambiguity
Ambiguity arises when information supports more than one interpretation. In complex projects, exploring different stakeholder objectives can reveal needs and conflicts that a single agreed narrative would conceal.
THE IDEA
On ambiguity
Ambiguity is characteristic of complexity. It presents us with information that can be imprecise, insufficient, or conflicting, and it allows multiple coherent narratives to coexist. To embrace ambiguity is to be open to nuance, 'the quality of something that is not easy to notice but may be important.' (27)
At the outset of the risk management process, we confront ambiguity when we set out to clarify our objectives. Risk relates to the effect of the uncertainty on objectives, and our objectives are inextricably linked to the objectives of others. Where these are unstated, under-stated, or ignored, risk tends to arise.
The architect, Bjarke Ingels, applies the heuristic 'yes is more' to his work, embracing stakeholders’ diverse needs. (28) By intentionally increasing the set of diverse objectives his team works with, novel architectural solutions emerge that meet broad stakeholder acceptance. Examples include a power station in Copenhagen that simultaneously is a ski slope, and 'invisible' flood risk defences in Manhattan that take the shape of human-centric activity spaces. (29)
Considering more objectives can reveal useful combinations as well as conflicts. Exploring them together gives a team a chance to address risks that would remain hidden if some stakeholders’ needs were ignored.
Objectives should reflect the nature of the world we are working in. They are best explored collectively, and some will only be discovered on the journey.
When to use it
When setting project objectives, explicitly seek out and incorporate diverse stakeholder needs that may initially seem conflicting.
In risk management, acknowledge that multiple coherent narratives about the future exist and plan for a range of possibilities rather than a single forecast.
When designing products or services, use ambiguity as a creative tool to combine functions (e.g., a park that also manages flood risk).
In team decision-making, encourage exploration of ambiguous information before converging on a solution.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Bjarke Ingels' 'Yes is More' Heuristic
The source describes Bjarke Ingels’ 'yes is more' approach through a Copenhagen power station with a ski slope and Manhattan flood-defence designs that also provide public activity spaces. Each combines objectives that might otherwise have been considered separately.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What competing interpretations or objectives in your project deserve closer attention?
What are the potential risks of ignoring or oversimplifying ambiguous stakeholder objectives?
In what ways can you intentionally increase the diversity of objectives in your work to uncover novel solutions?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Cynefin - Weaving Sense-Making into the Fabric of Our World ED02 (Dave Snowden Sonja Blignaut Zhen Goh)