This is the second of 4 blogs where we will unpack the term VUCA in the South African context.
As you may know the term VUCA refers to Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
It is by now well recognized that leaders in 2018 need to be VUCA ready, but what does the term uncertainty mean in the workplace?
What is it that we need to get ready for?
Firstly let’s understand the dictionary definition:
Uncertainty (noun) - the state of being uncertain, synonyms: unsureness, riskiness, unpredictable
If thus we need to prepare for uncertainty it will mean that:
Leaders are able to be
more assertive to define their minimum requirements.
Leaders are able to
influence others and willing to be influenced.
Leaders are
open to collaboration and negotiation to thrash out best case scenarios.
There is always
scope for change in any project.
The
risk aspect of every approach is
well managed.
There are
limited one size fits all approaches.
Client centeredness takes priority.
What are some of the
most recent and current factors that give rise to uncertainty in the broader South African context?
Political uncertainty.
The current Western Cape
drought and pending expanded water shortage.
The current state of
public transport in SA.
The
Steinhoff saga.
The
economic downgrade.
All of the above influence our economy quite radically, translating to
suppliers and clients down scaling, changing the way they do things to remain profitable and thereby influencing what we know for sure.
What are some of the developments that are likely to
challenge a leader’s ability to adapt to the required challenges of uncertainty?
The rise of
millennials to management positions.
Cybercrime.
Government and Corporate entities that are
slow to adapt to market related pace.
The
rising cost of doing business (including basic service delivery cost, infrastructure cost and cost of compliance).
The success of
gender awareness campaigns.
South Africa’s
large divide in socio-economic status.
In nearly all of the above, it becomes apparent that especially in times of uncertainty, it is essential that we are
able to remain ethical, that we do the right thing even when no-one is watching.
It becomes imperative to have an
ethical culture and a safe space for risk taking as the decision making needs to take advantage of every window of opportunity at the right time.
Stepping in to
manage conflict, stepping up to change, adjusting to demands. Too many organisations are trying to centralize decision making, giving their supervisory tiers all the responsibility but none of the authority with which to do their job.
What are some of the
solutions we could be implementing quickly and without too much additional cost?
Client education programs (fore warned is fore armed).
Employee
ethics and information committees.
Employee
diversity awareness committees.
A culture of great
internal communication.
KISS programs - allowing for
clearance of unnecessary paperwork (keep it simple).
Better company
meeting strategies to gain more collaborative input.
A culture where
questioning and learning is encouraged and rewarded.
We cannot stress enough how
important it is for us to prepare our workforce adequately for great, inclusive and collaborative decision making in a climate of uncertainty as without the input from an
engaged and creative team we will not be adjusting our processes quickly enough allowing for quick change when uncertain outcomes strike.
“
Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating.” - Simon Sinek.
© Debbie Engelbrecht
Debbie Engelbrecht is the MD of Staff Training, established in 2001. She is a soft skills facilitator and management coach and strives to enthuse, assist and empower her fellow South Africans wherever she has the skill to do so.
