Set the Pace - Turn Ambiguous Requests Into Strategic Advantage
Shifting from waiting for clarification to leading the pack
Do you set the pace? Do you set the standard? When an ambiguous request arrives at your desk, do you wait for others to figure out what it means, or do you go figure it out yourself?
Setting the pace can be a massive differentiator in your career, allowing you to navigate uncertainty by having some control over how work gets done. There is tremendous power in controlling the narrative, shaping the story, and clarifying a situation. At every possible step, you want to practice being that storyteller.
When you let others make the first move, you are leaving an opportunity on the table to demonstrate your leadership capability, give your team an advantage, and strengthen your relationship with your peers.
In this post, I want to talk about how being a first mover can present a strategic advantage, how you can leverage that advantage, and what risks to watch out for in that process.
Ambiguity as strategic advantage
The more senior you are, the busier your manager probably is. Your manager has their attention spread across many areas, and an important job that you have is to help make their job a bit easier by taking things off their plate. So when you get that request that clearly hasn't been thought through, take a step back and think through one question.
How could you be first to clarify this for everyone else who has to do this task? How could you shape the narrative?
The act of coming out of the gate first with a point of view on an ambiguous request has a number of advantages. Strategically, it allows you to apply some influence over the outcome. It also allows you to show up for your peers and anyone else who is struggling with the request. It could also provide an opportunity to connect with others across the company.
Most importantly, for anyone looking to continue to grow in their career, it demonstrates clearly how you navigate ambiguity. This capability is often referred to as "ambiguity tolerance," and it's a key attribute of senior leaders. When these little challenges appear, it's an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to grow in your career.
Pathways for clarifying ambiguous requests
We are all smart and resourceful people, but it's easy to be swept up in a moment of frustration over a poorly formed request and forget what's available to you. This technique works better when you have a good network of people who are open to helping you with challenges like this.
A few questions to ask:
Who besides my manager could help me clarify what needs to be done?
How are my peers handling this request?
What are the consequences if I just take a point of view and get it done?
Most of the time, the risk of an incorrect point of view is low. Put yourself in your manager's shoes - what are they likely needing here? You can reduce the risk of this by working with your peers and others around the organization who aren't your manager to come up with an answer.
Validating your approach
How do you know that the approach you came up with is what your manager intended? You tell them what you intend to do and gracefully accept the feedback when they steer you in a different direction.
In the book "Turn the Ship Around" by David Marquet, the consequences of a crew member taking an incorrect action could be fatal. Despite this, Marquet needed a way to empower the crew to make their own decisions about actions to take and have those decisions validated by others. The mechanism they used goes something like this:
Instead of the traditional exchange:
Crew member: "Captain, should I dive the ship?"
Captain: "Yes, dive the ship."
Marquet implemented the "I intend to" approach:
Crew member: "Captain, I intend to dive the ship."
Captain: "Very well" (if he agreed with the decision)
I have used this behavior throughout my career to validate my approach without asking for permission. There is an implicit expectation in the request that if I'm doing something wrong, you are going to intervene, but if you do nothing I'm going to proceed. My manager only needs to expend energy if I'm wrong.
This same approach works here: describe how you intend to address the request and if there isn't pushback, make it so.
Move first on clear requests too
Even when the request seems to have a clear ask, there’s value in being the first to respond. Getting a quick response to your manager helps them know if the request matches their intent. If their intent was different, all of these practices and advantages apply as well. You get an early opportunity to shape the correct response, help your manager clarify their ask, and support your peers in the process.
I coach everyone I work with to respond to their manager’s requests as quickly as possible. Don’t cede the first mover advantage to your peers. Whether the request is straightforward or a complete mystery - be the first to respond.
Cautionary note
This approach does require some good judgement on your part. Here are a few things to watch out for:
Don't expose your manager's ambiguous approach to their peers or leader
Some situations might be tempting to just go ask your manager's peers for clarification. After all, it's not your manager, and they probably got the same request. Keep in mind that you are exposing this aspect of your manager's style to that peer - and they may not appreciate that.
Be careful about breaking confidentiality
Consider who else should know about the request and don't over share in the interest of figuring this out.
Sometimes your manager will want to be the one to clarify
You'll have to figure this out over time, but sometimes your manager will want to shape how this gets done. You might find out because they push back on your request, or it might be more their style to specify the approach. You'll need to judge when doing this yourself is right.
Summary
When you take initiative in the face of an unclear request, you benefit from stepping out in front of the pack to help your peers, your manager, and your team. This opportunity to collaborate with those around you to move action forward can have long-term strategic advantages for your team, your reputation, and your career.
To summarize:
Respond to ambiguity with a point of view, be the first to drive clarification
Carefully consider who can help you clarify the request
Use "I intend to" as a mechanism to pressure test your approach
Respond to feedback and redirects with grace and gratitude
Just be careful — this approach might make you look like you are ready for the next level.