I was reminded this week of the acronym VUCA, which was made famous by Kevin Roberts, in his time as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi. I was fortunate to see him present his keynote address to the annual Institute of Directors conference in the Royal Albert Hall about 10 years ago, and this was one of his main themes. The term apparently originates from the US Army War College’s response to the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s. The challenge was to seek new ways of responding to conditions of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity – VUCA. It’s not difficult to see how the acronym fits into the world of business. Although it’s a rather ugly term in itself, I think there’s value to be had from reflecting on how it might help us navigate our way through today’s challenging market conditions.
Uncertainty and complexity
I mainly deal with healthy businesses fortunate enough to be enjoying growth. This despite the considerable layers of complexity and additional bureaucracy added in recent years on a political, economic and social level. These businesses and their leaders are unquestionably dealing with more uncertainty and complexity now, than they have probably experienced in their entire lives. Clearly the dangers of burnout or overwhelm – to use a term becoming more and more prevalent – are real and significant. So, I make no apologies for constantly reverting to simplicity as the main weapon with which to fight all manifestations of a VUCA environment.
Managing stress
Some time ago, I attended a Mental Health First Aid course. One of the images in particular from the course has stuck with me. It has been unfailingly useful in helping individuals suffering the kind of stressful existence VUCA can bring about, if unchecked.
With this beautifully simple diagram, it’s easy to see that the stress funnel can overflow – if too much is put in, or if problems occur in processing information to ensure a good healthy, manageable flow. Often, we can’t control what goes into the funnel, but we can deal with what’s in the funnel, to ensure no painful ‘blockages’ occur.
Surmountable problems
The key to keeping on top of any stress issues in my experience is to remain relaxed and mentally resourceful. Clearly this is nowhere near as easy as it sounds. Nevertheless, it is a powerful weapon if utilised correctly and is certainly up to winning any battle with VUCA. By reflecting on what’s in the mind, rather than being the victim of swirling and seemingly random thoughts, a positive outlook can be found, and control exercised over a struggling mind. In this way, problems which seemed unsurmountable can be collapsed in a heartbeat and motivation found, to sustain you when new roadblocks appear in your journey.
One of my favourite coaching lines is: “If you’re truly relaxed, you can achieve anything” and it looks set to remain in my toolkit for a long time to come.