Ambiguity and corporate entrepreneurship

I have seen the questions below being used as pre-interview questions. Here are some possible answers:

What might be some possible actions that a leader can take to manage ambiguity?

Well, how about a map reduce algorithm?

1. map the ambiguity sources to clarification procedures, which are basically steps to follow in order to eliminate ambiguity (for example a push for accepting a sale proposal eliminates budget ambiguity) and secondly identify generalizations or some particularization that can help you handle that ambiguity which cannot be eliminated.
2. the reduce part is the constant comparison of ambiguity sources to the new context: what has been ambiguous a week ago is crystal clear today.

There are various other ways too: modular development (where you try to dilute ambiguity by splitting it into smaller pieces of clear approaches) or another example is to iterate later in the project on ambiguous project parts (on this note: loosely defined “features” are last in agile development, or skipped as epics).

Constant learning from critique coming from peers and other project members will create in time a talent in managing ambiguity, because most of it resides in a lack of forecasting abilities — and these abilities are best cultivated by direct experience.

How can a manager act as entrepreneur?

The golden goose of entrepreneurial management is proactwivity: do more than required, deliver better than expected.
– me ☺

A proactive manager does early identification of both issues and opportunities. On early identified opportunities the entrepreneurial management really kicks in.

Aside from having or not an entrepreneurial spirit or experience, there are some entrepreneur spirit checkpoints that can be followed by any manager:

  • attempt to cold sell the project inside the company — and learn from feedback
  • manage risk and challenge — with efficient costs
  • stick to a defined budget
  • have a “can do” attitude
  • have an elegant approach on micromanagement — that means don’t be a walking mug
  • act conservatively independent from peers and higher hierarchy in the project phases between assignment and completion
  • cherry pick your own team on new projects, preferably from current employees

Maybe not the most enlightening of medium stories, but it could serve as some inspiration, so: I hope it helps! ☺