Tolerance for Ambiguity

One of the things that I share with my students is this phrase from many job postings: "Candidate must have a tolerance for ambiguity." What this means is that the 21st century workplace tends to be a place where you won't find the specific direction and precise instructions that were hallmarks of Industrial Age workplaces.

In the Information Age, fewer people have to do more, with fewer resources, than ever before. Supervisors are more likely to say "There's a target off there somewhere, go and hit it" rather than "I want you to do this, in this way."

Instructions are more vague; outcomes less defined. They may not care exactly HOW you get to the objective, only that you reach it within a reasonable time and within budget. Workers are expected to think for themselves, problem-solve, and take initiative rather than having everything spelled out for them.

This is a key skill for our graduates. Yet it is anathema to an academic setting. By definition, school requires specific actions, with identifiable, measurable results, taken by a specific deadline. There is no room for ambiguity. And very little tolerance for lack of precision.

So does that mean that our educational system is still in the Industrial Age? Hmmmm.