Is this really a 'VUCA' world?
Over the last few months, we have been hearing that we are all in a VUCA world! Somehow, an image of a volatile, uncertain, random world has been built around us. This set me thinking- are we really in such a volatile world? With all the sophisticated data and analytical tools, and with millions of great minds, can't we reasonably predict things and manage this so called volatility? With all our knowledge and technology, shouldn't there be less uncertainty, and not more?
I think framing this context is important- for it will help us reach the right solutions. If we truly believed the world was volatile, uncertain and random, then you can't possibly plan for it. And understanding the real reasons behind this perception of a volatile world will help us get to the right solutions.
In my mind, there are three big drivers of change that is creating this perception of the 'VUCA world'. First, is the extent of globalisation. The world is now more globalised than ever, and in such a connected global eco-system, a significant event in one part of the world would have an effect elsewhere. Thus this 'volatility' is the probably price we pay to be part of a global village, notwithstanding the enormous benefits that we all get from this. Second, people are more connected now. The speed of communications and its all-pervasive nature has altered the way we work and live. The confluence of mobiles, social media and the internet has enabled this big change in the speed of communication - leading to faster actions and the feeling of 'volatility'. Third, is the force of technological change, powered by huge computing power in our hands. The power of software, internet, artificial intelligence, machine learning etc.- are all coming together to create asymmetric and non-linear change. And we will have more of this in the future.
Equally, all of the above drivers of the apparent 'volatility' also give us the means to manage it. As humans, all these elements enable us to amplify our potential and do more. We can leverage the same technologies to predict better, create more scenarios, to pilot quickly and pivot smartly where needed, and to connect and communicate faster, and to larger groups of people!
So I guess I wouldn't call this a 'VUCA' world. Yes, the rate of change, and the extent of change, is far more than we have experienced before. But this is the new normal. VUCA to me sounds like a label that we, the people who are used to a steady state of things, now use for the current rate of change. Maybe the millennials/Gen Y would not call it 'VUCA'- this is probably normal life for them.
I would rather frame the changes in the environment as a 'Dynamic Connected world'- that probably sets a more realistic scenario for how we can manage and leverage change- using technology to amplify our human potential. It will also help set the foundation for how we develop leaders to be successful in this new age. More on that later!
What do you think?
Head Employee Relations, APAC and MEA at Sandoz
8 年Dear Kris, Great article. If I can add, the world has always been VUCA and will continue to remain the same way, the only difference is “proficiency levels” or “challenge levels” have increased (and will keep increasing). Also the gap between risk taking abilities of the ‘risk takers’ and ‘risk averse’ has increased manifold, due to which people have now started blaming the external environment. Those who are able to manage this pace of VUCA will accept it as a normal thing and those who are not able to match this pace will become stagnant and blame it on VUCA. When we look around, technology has made our life easy than before but we struggle with remembering passwords, IT/ITeS sectors which were sunrise sectors creating millions of jobs are now talking of nanobots and robots which may take over some many jobs of humans, commercial folks who used to measure the success of business based on topline and bottomline have started to realize that quality of business is more important than financials alone. HR professionals (like us ?) who used to always recite employee engagement, culture building and hated the word “attrition” have now started to create models to predict attrition and counter it before it happens. The solution is - Not to counter change but to embrace it, Not to sit back as learned (wo)men resting on our past laurels but to upskill and reskill ourselves and Not to compare everything with past but try to look at new opportunities’ lying ahead of us.
Seeking ID and Board roles. Former Vice president & group Head HR, Independent Director | Ex VP HR, Head IT, Quality & Ex IBM | iGATE | Biocon | Mitsubishi. A Panelist & Speaker in HR & Biz ops domain
8 年Ahh... VUCA is a familiar act in a normal day to day life in this part of the world starting from the morning choir till the time you say good night. Being grown up in mostly chaotic systems we are more immune to the VUCA world thus making us best employees to work in any country/region & so are our Chinese cousins. At leisure please view the film Pushpaka Vimanam, Hera Pheri & Munna bhai….. that answers many VUCA concerns. Yes you can always make noise to gain visibility, but in this world its always CAUV …. Continously Active Under Volatilty.. >> FB & Whatzapp updates dheko bhai. Good luck & enjoy living in VUCA…
Data | Insights | Intelligence - Navigating the new decade.
8 年If nothing else these dumb acronyms have become irritating, exasperating, boring and a waste of space. Welcome to the WEBI World of Business Commentaey- W(aste of space), E(xasperating), B(oring), I(rritating)! Krish Shankar you have been far more charitable than me. PS: Unilever has been spouting VUCA instead of profit/ revenue growth for god knows how many quarters! And shareholders are feeling anything but charitable.
Chief Executive Officer @ InnovGen Technology Solutions LLC | Business Transformation and Disruptive Technology Solutions through AI Innovation
8 年Couldn't agree more Krish Shankar. If future is predictable then there is no fun. Today we have everything at our disposal to mitigate the volatility and uncertainty, like never before. Many new things / ideas are evolving today at frantic pace. It is upto an individual, an organisation or a country to keep unlocking its potential to take on the challenges from time to time. There are pros and cons always, then when the world was unconnected and now when it is fully connected.
I think it has always been a VUCA world, except for a very short time during football world cup in 2010 when Shakira tuned it into a Waka world...