Confusion can induce even the bravest leaders to hide behind the sofa. At best, it wastes time. At worst, it creates an almighty mess. Which requires nerves of steel just to contemplate. Let alone unravel. No wonder we run for the hills.
Luckily, we can just get curious instead. Curiosity acts like an antidote to confusion. Asking simple questions, sorting out what’s known and unknown, testing what’s assumed to be useful or right or true. All of this helps you to work out what’s what. And that helps you make a deliberate decision about what to do next. Instead of acting from fear or vague hope.
So don’t stick your head in the sand (or your hands). Instead, get curious to get clear. Look at what’s on your slate. Where do you need to nip confusion in the bud? Where do you need to stop it taking over?
First, get curious about where you can nip confusion in the bud:
Which tasks or projects are a bit unclear?
Which projects have the potential to get muddled (because of the people, timescale, budget, complexity or something else)?
Which bit of a project are you avoiding or glossing over because it’s a bit unclear?
Then brace yourself and get curious about where you need to stop the rot:
Which challenge feels too murky even to begin?
Where are you ploughing on because it’s too exhausting to unravel the what, why and whether it matters in a current project or relationship?
Which project is stuck because no one can work out what to do with it?
Which product does no one want to touch? [1]
Your next task is to get curious. Tackle the uncertainties one by one. Privilege clarity over certainty, and consistency over completion.
What do you need to find out?
How can you gather more data, and where, and when?
How does clarity over here reduce confusion over there?
Where does that lead you next?
Sometimes, it’s all much clearer than you thought. Sometimes, a solution sparkles within the murky depths. Sometimes, not. But curiosity begets clarity – and clearer is faster. What light will you shed today?
Keen to get curious and fancy a spot of help?
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Get curious with The Curious Leader newsletter. Longform, practical, personal opining on curiosity in leadership. Like this on owning your success, or this on busting that pesky FOBFO.