If several of the above characteristics combine, the problems begin to disrupt a manager's normal routines, and stress levels climb. Situations like these test the limits of analysis, so strictly analytical skills aNeither creativity itself nor the issues that demand creativity are tidy or controlled. To handle this, you need a mental framework that is forgiving of a necessary degree of confusion, ambiguity, uncertainty or contradiction, providing, of course, that a sufficient core of structure can be extracted from it to allow your activities to proceed.

There are five main areas of ambiguity that managers find particularly troublesome:

1. Where the significance and reliability of information is problematical.
2. Where it is unclear at what level the problem needs to be tackled.
3. Where different value orientations lead to political and emotional clashes among key players, inside and outside the organization.
4. Where contradictions and paradoxes appear.
5. Where symbols and metaphors, rather than logical arguments, are used to advance a position.

If several of the above characteristics combine, the problems begin to disrupt a manager's normal routines, and stress levels climb. Situations like these test the limits of analysis, so strictly analytical skills arn, providing, of course, that a sufficient core of structure can be extracted from it to allow your activities to proceed.

There are five main areas of ambiguity that managers find particularly troublesome:

1. Where the significance and reliability of information is problematical.
2. Where it is unclear at what level the problem needs to be tackled.
3. Where different value orientations lead to political and emotional clashes among key players, inside and outside the organization.
4. Where contradictions and paradoxes appear.
5. Where symbols and metaphors, rather than logical arguments, are used to advance a position.

If several of the above characteristics combine, the problems begin to disrupt a manager's normal routines, and stress levels climb. Situations like these test the limits of analysis, so strictly analytical skills aWhere the significance and reliability of information is problematical.

Where it is unclear at what level the problem needs to be tackled.

Where different value orientations lead to political and emotional clashes among key players, inside and outside the organization.

Where contradictions and paradoxes appear.

Where symbols and metaphors, rather than logical arguments, are used to advance a position.

If several of the above characteristics combine, the problems begin to disrupt a manager's normal routines, and stress levels climb. Situations like these test the limits of analysis, so strictly analytical skills a clashes among key players, inside and outside the organization.

Where contradictions and paradoxes appear.

Where symbols and metaphors, rather than logical arguments, are used to advance a position.

If several of the above characteristics combine, the problems begin to disrupt a manager's normal routines, and stress levels climb. Situations like these test the limits of analysis, so strictly analytical skills a If several of the above characteristics combine, the problems begin to disrupt a manager's normal routines, and stress levels climb. Situations like these test the limits of analysis, so strictly analytical skills are less relevant. Skills and procedures such as those listed below often help to provide the 'looseness' needed to manage difficult circumstances.

Problem-finding ability A combination of judgement, intuition and logic that enables a manager to identify the right problem and to recognize opportunities.

Map-building ability The skill of generating one or more ways of conceptualizing a problematic situation, including the ability to relate the demands of the situation to organizational and personal values and identity.

Janusian thinking This refers to thinking that joins seemingly contradictory beliefs in a constructive way (the Roman god Janus faced in both directions at once).

Controlling and not controlling Knowing when to let events follow their own course versus knowing when to intervene.