I have to admit, I vacillate between considerable Trump fatigue and being captivated by what is and will be a fascinating sociological exercise. (I refrain from any commentary here on his values, his words or his actions.)

Like most everything in life, I am seeking the learning for business leaders, individuals, and political leaders. Here is one observation and opportunity for all of us in leadership roles.

Trump has created a great deal of uncertainty and ambiguity. Ambiguity can rapidly slow productivity, create anxiety, and derail individual and team initiative. This happens within organizations and within industries. It can result from large changes such as when a company announces a merger, or when dramatic new regulations are imposed by a government on an industry. However, it is most often the perceived smaller changes such as a new ERP or another large technology project, a company reorganization the relocating of offices, the introduction of a new compensation structure, or the appointment of a new leader to a team that leads to ambiguity.

When I was in a corporate role, I remember one of my senior leaders asking me, “When will we slow the pace of change so that people can catch their breath?” My response to him then was the same as I tell my clients now, “The goal is not to adjust the pace of change. The objective is to improve our employees’ ability to more readily adapt and flourish during all manners of change.”
So it is with ambiguity. But as a leader, you can have considerable influence on mitigating the downsides of ambiguity. Here’s how:

• Share what you can.
• Tell your employees what you do not know, e.g. what decisions have not yet been made.
• Be explicit in defining success.
• Be clear in defining what is expected from each team and/or individual.

Avoid the Trump ambiguity effect. Maintain productivity. Foster innovation. Reward initiative.

My clients accelerate their results – increasing profitability, leadership performance, innovation, and accountability. I would love to discuss how I might contribute to your success. Contact me today.

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