Structuring uncertainty: sponsoring innovation and creativity

Dynamic and complex decision-making environments may involve high levels of uncertainty. Such uncertainty may lead to difficulty within decision-making processes. High levels of uncertainty in decision-making occur in a dynamic and complex environment. While decision-making is needed as a response to uncertainty, this may lead to difficulty within decision-making processes. Furthermore, there are problems inherent in organizational decision-making, which require special attention e.g. a temptation to seek a premature consensus, a dearth of sufficiently creative ideas and inhibition that may be felt among decision makers, in circumstances where suggestions could be controversial. In order to address these challenges, we need to develop the problem spaces within which decisions are required. This, in turn, will require us to make attempts at structuring uncertainty. In this paper, the authors offer a framework for helping a range of narratives to surface, and to provide support for sense making. The aim is to promote development of discourse, rather than to close on an immediate consensus. The authors suggest that a major challenge to be addressed is not about making decisions, but about being able to make informed decisions.