It’d be unfair for the traffic light to immediately change from green to red.
There’s no margin for error.
The amber light allows for an adjustment period—for drivers to use their best judgement and err on the side of caution.
Many pear-shaped decisions I’ve witnessed in the workplace were green-to-red moments: a decision was made too quickly that perhaps lacked empathy or an understanding of the potential second and third order consequences.
Moving fast is usually a good thing, but when a decision impacts many people, or could cause confusion or chaos if rolled out haphazardly, it pays to build in some amber buffer.
Unlike a traffic light, though, our amber buffers need to be a conscious, deliberate decision.