The Paradox of Precision
In a recent episode of The Weekly Show podcast, Jon Stewart spoke with political podcaster Mike Duncan and screenwriter Tony Gilroy, and in describing their work, he pointed out the exceptional precision with which they operate.
This observation sparked the idea that precision is required for great creativity, and given that complex projects are fundamentally creative, this brought forward a paradox:
The greater the uncertainty, the more precise we need to be in our language.
Uncertainty and Precision
The less you know about a situation, the more specific your actions and communication need to be. This is the essence of the paradox of precision.
For example, in stormy weather, aircraft use precise instrument approaches to land. Similarly, in the fog of war, special forces rely on deeply ingrained, direct, and calculated methods of working and communicating.
When projects are messy – emergent, connected and unpredictable – we often default to vague language. We are worried that we will get called out for a lack of detail, leading to an unspoken agreement to use ambiguous words that are difficult to pin down. While this might feel safer, it actually makes the situation much worse.
When the field is wide open, and things keep changing, being lazy with the language can create confusion without you even noticing it. Since complexity is based on subjectivity, people will add their own meanings if your communication isn't clear.
The Importance of Naming
It might seem strange to insist on precision when a situation is emergent, but complexity arises precisely because you can't see the entire system from a single perspective. You're dealing with opinions as much as facts, and in this environment, how you frame the problem dictates the solution.
For example, consider a project to improve revenue performance. The way you name the issue will drive a completely different set of actions:
"Our churn rate is too high" directs the team to focus on the numbers.
"Customers aren't seeing the value" leads to efforts to enhance the customer experience.
"We are attracting the wrong customers" suggests a strategy reset is needed.
Each of these statements describes the same underlying problem that customers are leaving, but the specific language sends the team in completely different directions. Conversely, once you've established a clear direction and reduced the complexity, you can afford to be more casual with your language.
What to Watch Out For
Often, we worry that because we don’t know the details, we can’t be specific.
However, while you can't be comprehensive when you don't know all the details, you can still be precise, and we need to be willing to change when new information arises.
In complexity, being vague is dangerous, so beware of jargon, fluffy words (like optimise, fix or manage). Be particularly cautious of incomplete statements or language that is designed to misrepresent a situation
For example, during the development of a new aircraft, the cynics would say it couldn’t operate at night. While technically correct, the reason was hidden by the statement. It wasn’t a technical problem; it was a regulatory one. This imprecise language was not helpful in getting everybody pulling in the same direction.
A Few Things to Think About:
What vague phrases are currently floating around your project
Do your team describe the problem you're solving in the same way?
Make it acceptable for team members to ask, "What do you mean by that?"
Where do you need to be more precise to ensure your team is able to move at pace?
Vague language can cause confusion in technical projects, but it leads to chaos in complex ones. The less clear a situation is, the more precise we must be in how we name it, frame it, and talk about it.
The goal is to create clarity wherever you can.
