Four Ways to Be Flexible in the Ambiguity at Work

Learning how to stay “flexible in the ambiguity” in the workplace can help you lead (and follow) when plans change and prepare for any outcome in front of you.

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Part of my full-time job at the college where I work is supporting campus-wide programming. Normally this means brainstorming the look and feel of an event, considering the staffing needs, and when possible, providing funding for the event.

But sometimes, it also means trying to figure out how to add glitter to literally any stationary object found in my office for a makeshift centerpiece.

Last week, the director of another office frantically asked if we had any glitter and glue — and she was very serious about the request!

After moving an event into our campus gym due to a heat advisory, she needed to ‘zhuzh’ up the gymnasium about two hours before the event started. Not enough time to shop nearby, we had to quickly assess what we had in our closets and make do with what we had. She shared that this type of pivot in doing something different was not within her natural skillset. I was happy to lend her my skills, allowing her to approach her vision, albeit a bit differently than she originally intended.

And that is where my skill in being “flexible in the ambiguity” comes in handy.