When the situation is ambiguous, do the right thing

"When the situation is ambiguous, do the right thing". On first reading, this phrase is pretty simple, yet the depth of meaning is there. Ambiguous situations exist in all walks of life, and there are plenty of opportunities to use the ambiguity of a situation to take advantage for personal gain of some kind. This is the most onerous of reactions. A second reaction, most commonly practiced, is the passive wait. In this reaction, the person simply waits until the ambiguous situation is resolved or they are "told what to do". I have seen both of these situations in companies which I have been a part and in companies where I have consulted.

This phrase, when practiced, forces a person to confront the ambiguity and also to define what the right thing is. The definition of right most often follows the ethos of God, Family, self in personal settings, or Ethics, customer, co-workers, self in a business setting. Then, the person must act within the confines of these definitions. The right actions within ambiguity and the elimination of ambiguity is one of the best things we can do as leaders, managers and people.