PAF alumnus Jeff Marootian, CCAS ’01 MPA ‘03 joined the PAF weekly meeting on November 19th to support a professional development session on dealing with ambiguity. The session is a part of an ongoing series of professional development sessions, which give every fellow an opportunity to present an important work-related competency to each other. These competencies include conflict management, creativity, dealing with ambiguity, learning on the fly, listening, motivation, perspective, political savvy, problem solving, self-knowledge, and giving and receiving feedback.
As the presenter of the competency of dealing with ambiguity, it was great to have Jeff as a guest speaker and to hear him share his insights on this topic based on examples he has encountered in working with the U.S. Department of Transportation. When asked about the importance of being able to deal with ambiguity in workplace, Jeff emphasized that almost no work is free of ambiguity, and that a person’s ability to handle ambiguous situations is directly linked with his or her general performance and productivity. He also reminded PAFs that, as panic and frustration only make situations worse, the most important thing to remember while facing ambiguity is to remain calm and focus on doable tasks first.
I enjoyed the session and learned a lot. As a first year fellow placed with a new university initiative, I have encountered several transitions and unfamiliar situations. While all the ambiguity involved has created frustration, I now feel more confident to address these issues directly, rather than avoid them or feel frustrated. I have also learned that being overwhelmed by big projects and responsibilities will not help me solve problems, and that the best way “to eat an elephant is one bite at a time”.
Thank you again Jeff, for a great professional development session. We are looking forward to more opportunities for PAF alumni to share stories, advices, and insights with us in the near future!