ROLE CLARITY VS.

ROLE AMBIGUITY AND WORK STRESS

An employee is clear about their job role when they know what they need to do and
what is expected from them.

Clear job objectives, accountabilities, and responsibilities are part of role

clarity in the workplace.

Role clarity consists of clear definitions of job deliverables, processes, priorities, and
stakeholders.

A clear role means that the employee is aware and informed about their roles on a
team or in an organization.

ROLE CONFLICT DEFINITION

Role conflict occurs when a person is asked to do a job with incompatible job
demands or perform tasks with values that clash with their personal value system.

When an employee is asked to perform contradictory or competing tasks, they

experience role conflict. An example of role conflict is when a team member needs to
do an urgent job for two clients at the same time.

ROLE CONFUSION

Role confusion is the experience of not knowing the employee’s standing within a
team or an organization. Role confusion shows up whenever there is a novelty on a
team, such as a new manager, new job, job transfer, or structural changes in an
organization.

Missing role clarity and role confusion exacerbate work-related stress on part of the
concerned employee. They can also cause tension and work-related conflict
between employees. Instead of spending their time doing productive work,
employees waste energy on managing team relationships or resolving conflicts.

Learn more: What is Your Conflict Management Style?

Role Clarity and Role Ambiguity

To define role clarity, you have to know what stands at the opposite end of it.

Role ambiguity is the opposite of role clarity in the sense it describes the person’s
uncertainty about job tasks, work methods, and priorities.

Usually, employees are somewhere in-between ‘clear’ and ‘unclear’ about their job
role. Ultimately, this results in role ambiguity or a situation with vague boundaries
about the job description within the context of the organization. For example, when a
person doesn’t know how to apply particular skills to the context of an organization,
they will face role ambiguity and work-related stress.
Learn more: Competency Gap Analysis: Skills Into Context

How to Create Role Clarity at Work

You cannot escape role uncertainty. Work changes happen before you know it. Role
clarification

1. Survey employees about how clear they are about their job role. Do this
with every new hire, and every change in tasks and responsibilities.
2. Leverage role fulfillment. Hire talent that works a job with natural motivation
and a sense of purpose.
3. Promote role acceptance. Ask employees to commit to their job roles. Role
acceptance means employees have not only understood their roles but are
also committed to successfully doing them.
4. Create clear onboarding guides. Minimize role ambiguity and uncertainty
when novelty occurs.
5. Eliminate overlapping tasks. Define the scope and the parameters of a role
and stick to them.
6. Identify skills gaps. Role ambiguity may occur due to the need for new skills
you don’t have on your team.
7. Encourage a culture of open conflict resolution. Be the example,
communicate openly, and don’t shy away from conflicts. React at the first sign
of discrepancy between expectations and reality.

How to Deal With Ambiguity in the Workplace?

Ambiguity is a complex problem in the workplace. In a few scenarios,

ambiguity can play a positive role but in many instances, the lack of clarity and
direction is stifling and it hinders production and positive outcomes. Taking a
head-on approach to ambiguity improves morale and overall direction.

Causes of Workplace Ambiguity

Ambiguity comes in several forms in the workplace. The issue arises from a lack of
direction and clearly defined roles. The problem can result from the business itself or
from specific managers who fail implement the direction and roles associated with
their job.

When ambiguity originates from the business, it becomes a systemic problem.

Ambiguity among management is solvable by approaching the failure to follow
company policy.

The other form of ambiguity occurs among the general employee pool. When
employees experience ambiguity, they are often working in a job with an uncertain
future and the daily work is approached with a level of indifference. In this case, the
employee has no job security and a general lack of opportunity and reward to
motivate a desire to produce results.
Essentially, this means doing the bare minimum delivers the same reward as
producing at a maximum output. No motivator exists to perform beyond the minimum
requirement.

Embrace the Creative Process

One scenario that produces positive results occurs in the creative process. A lack of
direction stands to benefit in a creative workplace because the outcome is not
predetermined. This opens the ability to create freely and deliver based on a
subjective approach to the work.

In this scenario, ambiguity can benefit a creative advertising agency or company with
artistic output. In a hard-line business model, such as manufacturing, creative
processes are not required and production will lag, rather than increase.

Approaching ambiguity as a creative measure requires a delicate touch to ensure

that deadlines are still met and the work is completed. Otherwise, taking a hands off
approach is an experiment that can pay off for some businesses.

Removing Toxic Ambiguity

Toxic work environments result from negative impact ambiguity. In these cases,
dealing with an ambiguous situation requires a deeper analysis of the company and
the processes. The company needs a clear motto and purpose along with defined
and recorded processes.

Some examples of dealing with ambiguity at work include the creation of an

employee handbook, a clear job description for each role and a set of expectations,
goals and deadlines. The management should enforce and communicate these
expectations to build a structured workplace that does not suffer from ambiguity.

The example of role ambiguity in the workplace as it relates to management is an

important one to solve. On the employee level, rewarding performance and adding a
layer of job security can quickly overcome the issue by encouraging loyalty.
Providing a purpose and a reason to deliver great work on behalf of the company
builds unity and a better company overall.

Implement Employee Programs

Happy employees are more productive and the effect is contagious across the entire
company. Implement employee programs to open clear lines of communication while
building morale among coworkers.

Also, encourage employees to utilize their breaks, vacations and benefits to remain
healthy and productive. Adding specific programs, such as childcare and gym
memberships ,will reward employees and will create a sense of community and
purpose. Ambiguity is the result of indifference and a lack of purpose or security.
Solving for those specific problems can turnaround morale and performance in the
business.