Death and taxes, they’re said to be the only things that are certain in this life, but we can add uncertainty to that short list. Uncertainty is essentially ‘not-knowing’ and, while there are varying levels of uncertainty, it’s a profound and ubiquitous part of being human. Because we’re time-bound ultimately we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future - and this is often quite hard to experience. We spend a lot of our time trying to reduce levels of uncertainty or trying to avoid it all together.Â
We’ve found that at our core we want certainty because we want control. We don’t want to live with the ‘what-ifs and maybes’ - we simply want to know. In fact, uncertainty can be scary - it’s something to fear. We believe life will always be better if we know what’s going to happen and when. Oftentimes life is better and more calm when we have a sense of certainty but at the same time, and this is the point of this blog, uncertainty can also be a positive thing. The trick is knowing when to try and reduce the uncertainty and when to live in the uncertainty, and even when to increase the level of uncertainty.Â
When it’s good to reduce uncertainty
You’ve got a plane to catch and you need to be there in enough time to drop the car off, check your luggage, get through security, buy those last minute essentials and get to the gate. You’d rather not be running and worrying you’re going to miss it - it’s the only plane that day and to rearrange is a major undertaking, not to mention you’ll miss your connection at the other end and end up paying for accommodation you won’t be using. To get to the airport the journey is 90 minutes without traffic but to get there you have to go on a motorway that’s a serious contender for the traffic-jam of the year awards. What do you do? You try and reduce the uncertainty of that journey. You’ll either leave plenty of time for the drive that will take into account a few queues along the way, or even go a different, longer route, that is a little more guaranteed to get you there in time. Tools like Google Maps really help us to reduce uncertainty, showing us the journey time, taking traffic into account.Â
It’s parts of life like this where reducing uncertainty makes sense and makes life better. When travelling like this with kids we’re learning that you do everything you can to reduce uncertainty and give yourself the best chance to get to your destination with (at least half) a smile on everyone’s faces. New tech businesses are using this very part of the human condition to bring services to market - think about Uber or Deliveroo and the ability to track the car or delivery. It’s no quicker, all it actually gives you is knowledge - certainty that the car or delivery is on its way. No longer do we have to listen out for the doorbell to ring or worry that the taxi won’t turn up - we know exactly where it is by a quick glance down at our phone.Â
Reducing uncertainty in much of life is a helpful thing - it can make our lives calmer, reduce a sense of worry and help us avoid pitfalls (like getting stuck in a traffic jam). But is it always best to try and reduce all uncertainty or avoid it all together? We’re seeing that there are plenty of times when uncertainty is a positive that brings opportunity.Â
The opportunity of uncertainty
Given that uncertainty is certain, it’s comforting that it’s not only something to reduce or avoid. In fact, uncertainty can bring considerable opportunity, not only to live with, but sometimes to actively encourage. Here are three opportunities (there are more!) that uncertainty brings.Â
1. The opportunity of autonomy
In studies about the future of work and of job satisfaction, autonomy appears high on the list of factors that bring high levels of employee engagement and happiness. Uncertainty in a work setting is very common and often railed against. However, it often brings with it the opportunity of discovery and growth, from increased accountability or autonomy, if you can look at it in the right way. For example, with an organisation change and role change, it can often be the case that there’s no neat and extensive job description, but instead simply an area to look after - no detail in the ‘how’ or, sometimes, even the ‘what’ (like goals and objectives). This can be unsettling - ‘what should I be doing?’, ‘what are the expectations?’, ‘what am I going to be held accountable for?’. All good things to ask. However, with this level of uncertainty there’s an opportunity to make that role your own - to propose and do the things you think are the best things and get on and do them. This is an opportunity to learn what you’re good at and what you’re less keen on, to grow and develop and it wouldn’t have been possible without the change happening and embracing the uncertainty.Â
2. The opportunity of the unexpected discovery
When we chase too hard after certainty, we can miss the serendipitous discovery that will be seared in our memories for years to come. Recently, a colleague was telling me about her holiday coming up next month in another country. She’d booked restaurants for every night in advance based on some pretty extensive online research (impressive!). She really likes to be certain to eat well every night. But if we inject a little uncertainty, we create opportunities for the unexpected. What if you’re wandering through a small Tuscan village and you come across a small bistro, just a door, no menu but offering local home cooked cuisine of the highest standard. They’re not online, nor have there been hundreds of reviews on Tripadvisor - in fact, you can’t even book. You go in and enjoy one of your best dining experiences - totally unexpected, and all enabled because you were uncertain of where to eat that evening. Of course, it could have been bad. But it wasn’t - that’s the opportunity - and risk - that uncertainty brings.Â
3. The opportunity for creativity
When we’re facing a problem we need to try and solve, uncertainty can be the fuel for creativity and growth. Imagine you’re leading a brainstorming session, trying to solve an issue, but you have a pretty good idea of what the answer should be. You’re probably going to steer things to get pretty close to that answer which might be a great answer, but you’ve also closed off the opportunity for creativity. Creating a space for less certainty, which can be pretty uncomfortable, can often bring broader thinking, surprising ideas, and different types of solutions. We’ve found it can be scary and exciting in equal measure to go into a brainstorming session or creative conversation not having a fixed idea of the outcome we want to get to. Being actively disciplined in living in the uncertainty will ensure we’re open to things we’d never come up with ourselves.Â
Summary
Getting to the point of being able to discern when it’s best to embrace or reduce uncertainty is by no means straightforward. There’s no one size fits all. We all have different tolerances for risks, and those tolerances change depending on a whole range of factors. But as we’ve been reflecting we’ve come up with a few questions that can help navigate when to try and reduce uncertainty, when to live with uncertainty, and when to increase the level of uncertainty, which we share in "how to live with uncertainty".
little BIG ideas
A little summary of this big idea using the 1000 most common words
It can be easy to fear not being sure of things but it can also be good. It can help you find out new things and grow