Action creates clarity. But in uncertainty, we often look for clarity before we act. So we need to flip the script and find ways to make action seem easier than analysis. The key is Light Actions, which work because they remove the weight that makes us default to analysis paralysis.

Why it matters:

In high ambiguity, we often hope the dust will settle and clarity will emerge. Or we do extensive due diligence and analysis, hoping clarity will arise.

But the reality is that in high ambiguity, the only way to clarity is to act.

That's where Light Actions shine (the puns just write themselves). They're steps that 1) are small, safe, easy and 2) bring insight.

For example:

Take the case of a recent leader in one of my programs:

The goal: Move distribution from Asia to the US by signing a US distribution partner ASAP.

The reality: The team didn't know what characteristics they needed in a distribution partner — what state to target, what support they needed most, etc. So they couldn't settle on a good partner, because it was hard to evaluate which would serve them best. They were stalled.

The breakthrough came when we surfaced the hidden assumption: That the team knew exactly what a good distribution partner would look like. When we focused on identifying their core needs in a partner, the team could immediately see their next light action: Reaching out not to distribution partners but to businesses like theirs, to learn what matters most.

The irony is that almost all Light Actions seem obvious after they're stated, but when we're in the midst of ambiguity, they're not the first thing we see.

I'm curious:

What's an assumption your team is making right now and could learning about that be your first step?

Reply and tell me. I'd love to hear it.