As individuals, we go through different stages of cognitive development, known as “epistemic maturity.” This refers to the development of our beliefs, knowledge, and understanding of the world and our place in it. The process typically starts in early adulthood and continues throughout our lives, with most people getting stuck on the way in one of the stages. Epistemic cognition, reflective judgement, and critical thinking are the main subsets of epistemic maturity.

Epistemic cognition refers to an individual’s capacity to understand and make sense of new information and experiences, including their ability to reflect on their own beliefs and seek out new perspectives. Reflective judgement refers to the process of considering different viewpoints and arguments in order to make well-informed decisions. Critical thinking involves the ability to analyse, evaluate, and construct arguments to form well-reasoned opinions.

There are three stages of epistemic maturity. The first stage is the “certainty” stage, where individuals have a black-and-white view of the world and believe there is only one correct answer to every question. They often hold rigid beliefs and are unable to consider multiple perspectives.

The second stage is the “complexity” stage, where individuals begin to recognise that there may be multiple solutions and perspectives to a problem. This stage is characterised by greater openness to new ideas and a willingness to consider multiple perspectives.

The third stage is the “relativism” stage, where individuals understand that all perspectives are relative to one’s own experiences and beliefs. They accept that everyone has their own unique perspective, and they are more tolerant of ambiguity and willing to accept the validity of other people’s beliefs.

Without making any other conclusions, the stages for individual progress in cognition has parallels to the way we structure general progress of thinking in society. traditional, modern, postmodern and the meta modern. Epistemic cognition, reflective judgement and critical thinking can also be moved from individual cognitive maturity to groups, or societies. In our context, how we think about uncertainty changes depending on your level of epistemic cognition, reflective judgement and critical thinking.

In the context of strategic management, epistemic maturity is crucial because it affects how individuals approach problem-solving and decision-making. Those with a high level of epistemic maturity are able to consider multiple perspectives, are open to new ideas, and are able to make well-informed decisions based on a nuanced understanding of the situation. This makes them better equipped to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity.

Just as individuals and society in a whole can be in different states of epistemic maturity. So can groups. Or organisations. And if high degree of maturity makes you better at dealing with uncertainty. And if strategic advantages are found in dealing with uncertainty it is in the interest of the organisation to be as mature as possible.

This can be learned, but is mostly decided by experience.

Attachment theory explains the nature of emotional bonds between people and how early experiences in childhood shape an individual’s beliefs, values, and understanding of the world. It suggests that the relationships individuals surround themselves with play a critical role in shaping who they become. Therefore, it is important to be intentional about the relationships we choose to form and cultivate.

Here it is important to emphasise that yes, the relationships you surround yourself with have a significant impact on who you become. But it is not only your personal and professional development that is influenced by the ones you surrond yourself with but more fundamentally you become -who you are is determined- inside the relationship. You as an individual are not as complete as you think. It is in the relations where you as a social entity exist.

In the narrowest sense, a company is a set of contracts. and in the narrowest definition a contract is a relationship. In other words, The organisations with which a company associates itself will determine who it becomes. And if an organisation’s ability to understand and deal with uncertainty is critical to its success, it is in its interest to form contracts with other organisations that have a high degree of epistemic maturity. In this way, attachment theory can be applied as a networking principle in the context of strategic management.

When dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity, it’s not enough to simply learn the new words. Instead, it’s important to develop a high level of epistemic maturity, reflective judgement, and critical thinking, so that you can think AND act with a deep understanding of the issues at hand.

I suggest that since who you are is defined inside the relationships this is achieved by being very intentional on what relationships you build around yourself and your organisation. By doing so, you’ll be better equipped to navigate uncertainty and ultimately create value in and throught your relationships.