Nicely put, Michael. I think this is so essential for organizations, especially startups and early stage, that this should be taught in (more) MBA programs. The organization I work for runs an award program for "top small workplaces," and a theme we see year after year among those that rise to the top of the pool is having practices -- sometimes even dictated by a core value -- that encourage "fast failure." In other words, trying something new, learning from it even if it falls flat, and quickly moving on without the overhanging fear of reprimand.

I was just reading this study last night. Great summary. I wonder though, what some more concrete ways to get our people comfortable with uncertainty are.

Mark, thanks for the comment. I agree. Putting a proper perspective on failure is a key to dealing with uncertainty.

David, that's a good question and would make a good post. I believe at its core it's an insecurity issue that we all face to one degree or another. So creating a culture that minimizes that issue is important. As Mark noted, "fast failure" is part of it. Also, making it clear what is valued and knowing that your worth isn't tied to knowing all the answers.

Thank you for pointing us to this study. I believe uncertainty plays a huge role in innovation in the construction industry. My doctoral research in the early 90s showed that innovative contractors were the ones who had organizational mechanisms to reduce the uncertainty of the innovative building products they adopted. Research sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute completed two years ago showed that the intolerance of uncertainty and risk inherent in innovation explains much of the industry’s resistance to innovation. The sooner leaders acknowledge the need to accept uncertainty, the more successful we will be at this innovation game!

More useful would be ways of overcoming the uncertainty, otherwise this article seems to state the obvious.

Michael (Toole), thanks for the example. We often fear what we most need.

Mike, I wish it were more obvious, but that is the first step. As we get caught up in our jobs we forget the obvious things we know we should do and instead we behave reactively. After awareness, we need to reflect on our behavior to see how this “fear of uncertainty” relates to what we do and think. By being aware we have a better chance to respond in ways that we know are more productive. Thanks for leaving a comment.

Hello Michael,

Great post.
We need to keep challenging the status quo to inspire innovation. This does often make people defensive and uncomfortable as who would want to upset the apple cart ? But, there are organizations who have created a culture that encourages taking chances and often and naturally see more success in the long term. Did you read Seth Godin's blog today ? It touches on the same theme.
Thanks,
Suchitra
Twitter : @suchimishhra

Thanks Suchitra. Yes, it's changing the culture from the top down. I'll check out Seth's post.