Bazooka that VUCA

The title of this piece is a tongue in cheek take on the advertising for a popular foot health product, but it does have a serious undertone. Much has been made in recent years of the need to recognise and prepare for VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) situations and times.

From 'Brexit' to 'Covid' and the subsequent changes in our lives and trading markets, there has never been a more poignant time to review VUCA as a tool for positive change.

When I started writing this piece, I wrote it knowing that everyone will at some stage face VUCA situations and times in their life. So, I gave myself the challenge of writing it in a way that would deliver general help.

There have been many times in my life where I have had to ride the VUCA roller-coaster. And I am sure you have in yours.

To write this I thought about the many people I have mentored, coached and trained and reflected on how I could condense the outputs of those discussions into a working sentence. A north star to sail the ship through difficult seas, so to speak.

My message to you that sprung from my musings is...

Focus on looking for opportunity while making decisions and adapting practices that build beneficial outcomes during VUCA times.

By their nature VUCA situations often lead us toward a more reactionary stance. We may find we are fighting fires constantly and forces that we perceive to be out of our control move us like a leaf on the wind. I am reminded as I am writing this to you of Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and its iconic 'Don't Panic'. This sentiment could not be a better keystone to creating advantage in a VUCA climate.

Presented next are 3 key steps that will get you moving out of the reactionary and back into a landscape of positive outcomes. There is a lot more depth to VUCA strategies than I can present here so if you need support then please get in contact.

1. It is an opportunity.

When difficult times are upon us it can be hard to see a silver lining. Your mindset is critical.

Acceptance that opportunities do exist during these times will manifest your ability to see them. In turn you will make choices that lead to those opportunities, and this will put you on the way to success. This simple decisive change in thinking will help you find ways to reduce the elements that are out of your control, expand those that are in your influence and those in your direct control.

Keep your hunger mindset switched on. Look for the gaps the VUCA situation has created that need to be filled.

Remind yourself that after the worst storms tree surgeons are usually in high demand. What change or innovation can you find to create opportunity during this time?

2. It is rarely a perfect storm.

Know the true nature of your pain. Each element of VUCA can stand alone and be potent in the discomfort it causes. Rarely are all 4 factors at play equally. Here are some quick simplified ideas on how to look at each element.

Volatile - This is the area of VUCA that is known to you. You may not have been expecting the situation to happen, but you have knowledge and experience of it. The centre of cause is likely to be within your influence and to a lesser extent your control.

Example: ACME recruiting company receive 6 resignations in one day. The team members resigning are leaving for a competitor. You do not know if any more are planning to jump ship or how it will impact the remaining workforce.

What could you do to turn this situation into a positive outcome? What was/is in your direct control?

Uncertain - In this area less is known, and your choices must be centred around your strengths and areas of control. The centre of cause is likely to be outside your control. The fundamental causes of the climate of uncertainty are known to you but have not necessarily been caused by you.

Example: 2015 and artists such as Ellie Goulding, Little Mix, One Direction and Justin Bieber were set to put out albums in November. However, Adele announced release of her album 25 which would be released in that month. This made the climate for success by the previously mentioned artists uncertain. In response the artists/labels decided to bring their album release dates forward so they did not engage in competition with Adele.

Did the artists/labels who moved their release dates act in a way that gave them more opportunity at attracting the music buying public's cash? Did they regain control out of uncertainty?

Complex - Here we find ourselves again in the area of what is known to us. In the area of complexity, we typically find that we have data relating to the situation and outcomes can often be predicted. As you may deduce from the word itself this element of VUCA relates to situations with many moving parts. Adroitly stepping through situations with high levels of complexity demands an understanding of the micro and macro effects your decisions have when aligning your decisions to end outcomes.

Example: Covid was a challenging and complex situation. It is highly likely that one could proclaim it the VUCA 'perfect storm'.

How many factors had to be considered in that process? Who and what does it impact? What opportunities can be created?

Ambiguous - This is the area of the invisible. For many this proves to be the most troubling area of VUCA. After all, how can you prepare or plan for the unknown? Here you need to focus on what is in your direct control. The likely hood is that if you find yourself in an Ambiguous situation you are setting out into something new. Therefore, it is important to know your strengths and have a core identity in respect to your motivations and desires.

Example: You run an established general recruitment agency and decide to expand the business into the health care sector. While there may be beneficial skills you bring with you from one market to another, your abilities in this new space are untried and untested. The decisions you need to make to generate success are unclear.

You will need to build experience before the ambiguity can fade. Then you can make decisions that are consistently reliable in your pursuit of success. Typically, you build a new set of data to allow you to be effective in the new space.

How would you move from the ambiguous to the predictably successful?

3. Innovate.

The importance to innovate during VUCA situations cannot be stressed enough. Innovation is the bedrock of competitive advantage. Nature mutates from need and your business should too. Innovation is often the deciding factor in survival of the fittest.

This period of innovation is best taken while your specific situation is happening. The reason for this is any competitors you have who may be in the same market space as you will also be trying to find their way out and back to predictable times.

Just a quick note here, please do not take predictable as meaning a repeat of the past. In the context of VUCA we should view predictability as an indication of an environment where decisions yield successful outcomes with regularity.

VUCA moves us away from our predictability of success. Returning to predictability is the desirable state all drive for including your competitors. To achieve this may require a complete departure from old methods and old thinking.

Being first to market with a new service or new product that answers the demands raised by the VUCA situation often leads to high trading advantage. During the storm the tree surgeons who advertise themselves as specialists in safe removal of storm felled trees and tree clearance, may find themselves leading their market very soon.

Summary

I sincerely hope this brief overview of a complex topic has helped shed some light on VUCA and how you can use it as a system for positive results. If you need assistance or support on any of these matters, then please get in touch.