Oiling the Tin Man’s Armor and Healing His Heart IV: Finding Support and Guidance

Implications of VUCA-Plus Conditions

In our mid-21^st Century world, we must make decisions that consider VUCA-Plus conditions. There is ambiguity, uncertainty and contradictory. Polarizing values are present making thoughtful consideration and caring compassion difficult to sustain; furthermore, these decisions are subject to frequent review and modification as we try to navigate our volatile, complex and often turbulent VUCA world.

Goal setting is often unrealistic. The ad hoc character of our VUCA-Plus world often produces a feeling of infinite possibility and an unrealistic sense that the sky’s the limit. Failure and disenchantment frequently are associated with a lack of realistic goal setting unless the process of designing and managing an organization includes not only re-examination of context and strategy but also the regular re-examination of goals. Another frequent problem we faced in a VUCA-Plus world concerns the complex interpersonal and task related skills that are needed to run such an organization. We are often “in over our heads” when seeking to build and sustain a viable working relationship with other people.

Thus, it seems that we must enter the challenging world of VUCA-Plus with several critical skills. First, is the ability to think in a careful, systemic manner about the world swirling about us. It is easy to think quickly with nothing but a desire to make the anxiety go away. We are fleeing the lions—but to little avail. Second, we must acknowledge the stress associated with the VUCA-Plus challenges. We must be mindful of the stress and find ways to reduce it while being proactive in our response to the VUCA-Plus challenges.

Finally, our problem-solving and decision-making in a VUCA-Plus environment must be done in collaboration with other people. This is a point that I am repeatedly emphasizing in this essay. Dorothy would not have made to Oz (and back to her home) without the assistance of her three companions (and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry’s farm could not be run without the hired hands). We are not strong enough to fight about the VUCA-Plus challenges alone. It is in collaborative dialogue with other important people in our life that we find the courage, clarity and strength to not just make sense of our mid-21^st Century world, but also learn from the VUCA-Plus challenges and find nourishment and sense of self-purpose in successfully confronting these challenges.