VUCA - What is VUCA? How do you deal with VUCA?

At the end of the Cold War, the threat of the Soviet Union fell rapidly away. The United States military realized with this known threat and the loss of the balance of two superpowers, left the global world in a new environment. An environment that military planners called VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.  

Today, the world finds itself in a seminal moment where VUCA reigns. So, what do we do to move forward and lead successfully in a VUCA environment? 

Step one, instead of focusing on the ups and downs of volatility, you must refocus your teams on your long term vision. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Who are the people that are here to serve? What lives can you impact? A great leader that I very much respect once said, “Look over the bumps and keep your knees soft.” You must be agile and ready to take on whatever comes your way.

The second step is to replace uncertainty with understanding. To do that, this step takes consistent communication with truthful empathy that provides visibility of the current reality. As a leader, you will need to lead your team with transparency on how you can adjust over time. 

The third step is to create clarity out of complexity. This can be done by making sure that every process is simplified and streamlined with your vision in mind. Create an exercise of collaboration among your team to get a fresh set of eyes on each process.

Finally, these steps will build an organization that will turn ambiguity into agility. This agility is bread from an organization that has a clear vision with the trust built from understanding. This will in turn create an environment of empowerment where teams will collaborate and adjust to the situation with their eyes on the “commander’s intent”.

We will continue to live in a VUCA time, but with a clear vision, constant communication, collaboration, and empowerment, you can find stability and consistent growth in a VUCA environment.