Sometimes you find you have become lost in a fog of ambiguity, uncertainty, and confusion. You’re in unknown territory. You haven’t been here before. It’s perplexing. It can be scary. It’s hard to make decisions because you don’t really know what’s going on or how to make the best choice.
Military strategist Carl Von Clausewitz described the “fog of war” as the uncertainty experienced in the frenzy of battle. Military commanders don’t have the luxury of time; they must act decisively without perfect information, when the situation is fuzzy, opaque, unclear.
It’s hard to navigate in the fog because you can’t see clearly. Traffic slows down and sometimes even stops.
Complexity, confusion, and misunderstanding can create a fog that obscures the situation. It can be unclear what’s really going on, how people feel, or whether they mean what they say. Nevertheless, sometimes you don’t have the time to wait for the fog to clear. There are occasions when you must make decisions and move forward anyway.
When you need to navigate in the fog, you have a few choices:
- You can stay put and wait for the fog to clear.
- You can stick to the trail you’re on.
- You can find other ways to navigate, like using a GPS device or a compass, listening for clues, or feeling your way forward. You can even lock arms with friends or colleagues and move forward together, feeling your way and communicating what you find.
Sometimes you can find a guide who knows the territory and can help you navigate it.
Are you lost in a fog of confusion? How can you clarify the situation? Can you find a guide to help? What needs to happen next? How will you find your way?
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