Mike Carlton discusses the challenges young agency professionals face in navigating the ambiguity of their work environments, which often differs from their orderly academic expectations. He emphasizes that rather than seeking a 'magic formula' for success, individuals should embrace ambiguity as a catalyst for creativity and innovative problem-solving. The seminar aims to shift participants' attitudes towards ambiguity, encouraging them to see it as a valuable and essential component of their careers.

1. Celebrating Ambiguity
by
Mike Carlton
In Search of Answers
For a number of years I have been an instructor at professional growth seminars
for young agency folks. Bright, energetic, enthusiastic people. I personally get
enormous satisfaction working with this next generation of agency talent.
Typically these two day seminars are attended by people who have been in the
agency business for two to five years. While most have junior account service
responsibilities each class usually includes a few representatives from other
functions like planning, creative, interactive, social, PR, production and media.
Several weeks in advance of each seminar we survey the enrollees to discover
what they believe their greatest work challenges are and what they expect to get
from the seminar. Interestingly, the challenges and expectations seldom vary.
Frustrations
The overriding theme from their pre-meeting input is that their work life is not as
orderly as they would like it to be. It is not what they expected. Many studied
advertising, communications and marketing in college. And they are
disappointed to find that their real-life work experience seldom follows the “book.”
In essence, things on the client side and within the agency aren’t what they were
led to believe. They don’t like this. It complicates things.
They are confronted each day with messiness and ambiguity when they
anticipated tidiness and clarity. This disconnect leads to ongoing frustrations.
A Magic Formula
Against this backdrop of disarray they are hoping that magically the seminar will
reveal to them processes that will suddenly make their work life better and
easier. Kind of a step-by-step recipe that they can follow. Perhaps a check list.
A process that will unfailingly maximize their productivity and minimize hassle.
A magic formula that will eliminate ambiguity and wipe away their frustrations. A
magic formula that will bring order and ease to their work life. A magic formula
that will, in effect, have the qualities of an auto-pilot. A magic formula that will
make them successful without a lot of mental exercise.
1

2. Thinking Can Be Hard Work
They understand that dealing with ambiguity is not easy. Sorting through
confusing situations requires serious thinking. Finding solutions and clarity is not
simple.
And like all of us they know that thinking can be hard work. They also have the
very natural human tendency to avoid hard work whenever possible.
So, ambiguity is sort of an unwelcome visitor. And the hope exists that somehow
it can be eliminated, or if not that, at least minimized. They believe that without
ambiguity their lives would be better. And they would be a lot happier.
It Just Ain’t So
Thus, our first order of business in the seminar is to help them face up to reality.
That there is no magic formula. That the ambiguity and intellectual tumult of
agency work is usually a pre-requisite to successful client solutions. Solutions
that come from creative ideas born of conflicting information and confusion.
That innovative ideas, ones that solve business problems for clients, don’t spring
naturally from routine processes. They take more mental work than that.
This, of course, is not what the students want to hear. But it sets the stage as we
move on with how thoughtful agency people don’t shun ambiguity. They joyfully
embrace it and turn it into a positive contributor to their career success.
Questions vs. Answers
As an aside, it is important to remember that there is a big difference between
questions and answers. And a list of questions has a very different purpose than
a list of answers. Questions can open thinking. Answers can do the opposite.
Many agencies have developed work processes that help make sure that the
right questions are asked at the right time. Many of these processes are
excellent. They are often proprietary, helping individual agencies differentiate
themselves.
They help assure that important issues are not overlooked. They create a
disciplined course of inquiry.
But these processes are only the question side. They do not, or should not,
dictate the answers. The answers emerge in a mosaic that is often ambiguous.
Answers that seldom come to light without some serious creative thinking.
2

3. Some Definitions
At this point it might be well to define ambiguity. Dictionary.com has this to say;
“Ambiguity is doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention, an
unclear, indefinite, or equivocal word, expression or meaning, etc.”
While defining ambiguity it is important to also understand what ambiguity is not.
It is not organizational chaos. Nor is it a lack of agency vision and values. These
are different from ambiguity. Clarity in the areas of where the agency is going
and how it does its work are crucial for agency success.
Now, while we still have Dictionary.com open, let’s take a look at creativity;
“Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns,
relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms,
methods, interpretations, etc.”
When you look at these two definitions side by side, it is easy to get a sense that
they are somehow linked. That there is some kind of connection between
ambiguity and creativity.
Could it be that ambiguity is somehow a stimulus to creative thinking?
Digging a Little Deeper
In discussing the human impact of ambiguity, Wikipedia provides these thoughts:
“In sociology and social psychology an increasing amount of
research is concentrating on how people react and respond to
ambiguous situations. Much of this focuses is on ambiguity
tolerance.
A number of correlations have been found between an individual’s
reaction and tolerance to ambiguity and a range of factors.
For example, researchers have found that people who have a low
tolerance for ambiguity demonstrate a strong correlation with such
attributes and factors like a greater preference for safe as opposed to
risk-based sports, a preference for endurance-type activities as
opposed to explosive activities, a more organized and less casual
lifestyle, greater care and precision in descriptions, a sensitivity to
emotional and unpleasant words and a less acute sense of humor.”
This makes folks that have a low tolerance for ambiguity sound somewhat staid.
And probably less likely to embrace new ideas. Much less develop them.
3

4. Of course the opposite of these attributes are some of characteristics of the kind
of innovative minds that are so highly valued by advertising agencies.
So the question is; could there be a psychological connection between a
tolerance for ambiguity and creativity? A link that many agencies have not yet
consciously explored?
Ambiguity Tolerance
The notion of ambiguity tolerance is intriguing. I realize now that over the years I
have been intuitively attracted to people who thrived on ambiguity. They always
seemed to have the most interesting ideas. And were more fun. Yet I never
comprehended why. Or made a connection with ambiguity tolerance. It was just
something I never thought about.
In retrospect, some of the most effective people I know in the agency business
are not only ambiguity tolerant, but they actively seek and embrace ambiguity. It
seems that they are drawn to it almost like a magnet. They love the thrill of
mentally wrestling through ambiguous issues and developing innovative ways to
deal with them. It is a sport to them. Not a nettlesome burden.
They run to ambiguity, not away from it. Perhaps this is their secret of success.
A Cultural Bias
Running to ambiguity rather than away from it somehow seems counterintuitive.
It is certainly not a thought that has popular currency.
Going back to our young agency seminar participants it is easy to see why they
naturally shun ambiguity. Their entire upbringing, education and early work
experience appears to have a subtle but pervasive bias against ambiguity.
Schools, at all levels, seem to be increasingly focused on teaching facts and
processes. Things that are clear and measurable. Scores and grades are the
metric. The emphasis appears to be on how to do things, not on why they should
be done in the first place.
Have we, in fact, built a system in which knowing facts trumps thinking?
Universities do an excellent job of training students in the craft of advertising.
Their programs prepare students well for how to do things. Yet are we
adequately questioning why? Are we placing appropriate emphasis on
challenging the students to think? Or providing encouragement for the ones who
genuinely enjoy ambiguity? And thinking?
4

5. Once employed in the agency business the newbie is usually confronted with a
comprehensive job description. It often lists step-by-step tasks of what the new
employee is to do. Sometimes in excruciating detail.
Then most periodic personnel reviews go through a detailed grading system on
performance against that list of to dos. Often with little regard for the outcomes
that individual has achieved. Or his thinking ability. Or her future possibilities.
No wonder our seminar students are questing for a simple process. A magic
formula. Isn’t that what their experience has taught them to expect?
Strategic vs. Tactical
A by-product of having young agency people focus so intently on tasks and
processes is that it encourages, even rewards, a tactical mindset. Sure, stuff has
got to be created, produced and placed. That’s how most agencies get paid.
And young agency folks are the foot soldiers who need to do this work.
But they also need to embrace the role they play in the bigger picture.
We need to reaffirm to them what the agency business is all about. Very simply,
clients hire agencies for one reason only – to solve their business problems.
With solutions that stimulate behavioral changes of people in the marketplace.
Making ads and websites and news releases and social media programs are only
the means to the end, not the end itself. Changing behaviors in the marketplace
is the ultimate goal of everything an agency does for its clients.
That’s it pure and simple. Successful agencies, and successful agency people,
are effective at changing the human behavior of client customers. Behavioral
change that benefits the consumer, the client and society as a whole.
Behavioral change that likely had its ideation origins in a cauldron of ambiguity.
A Look in the Mirror
So if we ever feel that young agency talent lacks the necessary intensity, focus
and passion for their work or somehow doesn’t measure up to our expectations
perhaps we need only to look in the mirror. Are they just fulfilling tasks that we
have laid out for them? While what we really want from them are thoughtful
solutions to important client business problems?
Could it be that as Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
5

6. Are we the ones who have created a culture that values the orderliness of facts
and processes and metrics over the messiness and uncertainty of ambiguity and
unusual ideas? Have we let doing become more important than thinking?
And in the process, have we allowed mental laziness to flourish?
Celebrating Ambiguity
The premise here is that ambiguity stimulates thinking which in turn stimulates
creativity. And that is worth celebrating.
If you believe that a bit more ambiguity might benefit your agency then here are a
few questions you might ask yourself:
1. A Culture of Ideas
First, and most important, is the agency’s culture. Is it a culture in
which ambiguity is viewed as good, not bad? Are ideas celebrated
joyfully? And are ideas welcome from everyone - from the
receptionist to senior leadership? Are ideas, not status, the most
important currency? And, do all the folks have fun?
2. Focused Recruiting
Are people with a high tolerance for ambiguity actively recruited?
The kind of folks whose adrenalin pumps when they are confronted
with a challenging situation? Do they see it as sport? Does their
psychic satisfaction come from solving difficult problems? Do they
run to ambiguity, not away from it?
3. Expect Thinking
Is there a fundamental expectation that everyone within the agency
think deeply about their work? Are they are constantly trying to find
ways to improve their output, regardless of their job? Is there an
understanding that thinking and creative ideas come from
everyone, not just the Creative Department?
4. Reward Innovation
Whether it’s a new way of tracking client sales or a new way of
trafficking an agency job is that innovation valued and rewarded?
Do people understand that there is always a better way of
communicating the client’s message or doing internal agency work?
And that they will be rewarded individually and collectively for their
innovations?
5. Tolerate Messiness
Is there recognition that ambiguity fosters messiness? That
conflicting information can spawn conflicting ideas? Ideas that can
6

7. tumble around in unpredictable ways? Is there an acceptance of a
lack of tidiness and control? Is there an acceptance that
recognizes that messiness can be the price of a great idea?
The celebration of ambiguity can lead to a more effective agency with better,
happier, more committed talent. An agency that is more powerful in its
marketplace.
A Rewarding Moment
Many of the students arrive at our seminars feeling a bit discouraged and even
slightly cynical about their agency career choice. But it is not uncommon to them
to leave quite different. Often charged-up and enthusiastically embracing their
opportunities and their future.
Watching that transformation during the two days is inspirational.
At the end of a recent seminar one of the students came up to me. Quietly she
said, “Thank you. You made me think.”
Not a bad outcome.
Copyright 2010 Carlton Associates Incorporated
7