Learning to thrive while actively engaging with uncertainty is new for many of us. A change in perception can help life shift from ‘struggling to reduce uncertainty’, to ‘trying new approaches that help bring greater ease with its existence’.
One of Canada’s top economists, Sherry Cooper, was recently interviewed by Anna Maria Tremonti of CBC Radio’s ‘The Current’. During the interview Dr. Cooper was asked what she tells people to watch for in these times. “Lately, I have been talking a lot about volatility, uncertainly, complexity, and ambiguity.”, answered Dr. Cooper. She went on to say, “Just being resilient and adaptable is absolutely essential.”.
Dr. Cooper went on to talk about an acronym that is the buzz in the business world: VUCA. The term VUCA was originally used by the American Military to describe conditions they face in the field. Leaders in other sectors started to make use of VUCA when wanting to make sense of, and find new ways to approach, the challenges they were facing. Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Sound familiar?
Many of us experience VUCA in life and business on a daily basis. So, how do we embrace this new way of being when we are so used to problem solving to reduce uncertainty in our lives?
Living successfully in a VUCA world means:
– Creating short-term solutions & readjusting as necessary
– Thinking on your feet
– Paying attention to your intuition
– Being curious
– Networking with friends and colleagues more frequently
– Thinking in innovative ways
– Allowing priorities to change
– Taking more risks
– Letting go of old ways of thinking
– Getting used to feeling uncomfortable
If you can’t beat them, join them. It doesn’t seem like a VUCA world is going away. While getting used to feeling uncomfortable feels anything but comfortable, learning new ways to live in our ever changing environment does seem like a good way to move forward.
How are you fairing in a VUCA world? And, how would learning to ride the wave of VUCA change your life?
Sherry Cooper’s CBC interview can be found at: click here
