The VUCA of today's emerging future
This writer has just attended a global conference on the World Association of Labor Law Practitioners held in London. The mantra in London is VUCA.
VUCA means volatility, unpredictability, complexity and ambiguity. Today's world and times and the events that take place every day can be described as volatile, unpredictable, complex, and ambiguous. Given these challenges, the people and institutions that can succeed in today's world are those who have the right mindset and the ready competencies to deal with rapid and even dizzying rates and velocities of changes. The constant and confusing changes in communications and information technologies often put endless pressures on millennials who, by the way do not have enough tolerance for painful and stressful disruptions.
Politics, both domestic and international are volatile. Trade, commerce and economic intercourses across geographic and political boundaries are unpredictable. Social and cultural developments are complexed and the future is becoming more and more ambiguous. Alvin Toffler, as early as the sixties already predicted in his three books: "Future Shock," "Powershift" and "The Third Wave."The rapid successions of technological changes have revolutionalized the way people and human organizations interact with each other. But today's generation appears not being ready for the shocking demands of these emerging realities.This is a big problem, governments, and organizations are losing their hold on people. Laws are becoming obstacles to change.
Volatility in the thoughts, actions, and decisions of individuals are the driving forces that make living in today's world exceedingly unpredictable.There are no more standard operating procedures. People do not respect traditions anymore and have little concern for compliance with cultural norms. Nonconformism is being promoted as expressions of freedom and individual rights. There is no more loyalty to institutions and icons. There is no more fidelity to commitments and oaths. The new normal is giving premium to individualism and non-conformance.
Constant changes in fashions and styles are driving market complexity and ambiguity. Music, arts, even languages and all media of communications are constantly altered, modified, enhanced, deleted, and rearranged. Today's leaders, managers, and decision-makers are being called to be alert and quick in decision-making and in taking actions. The more deliberative and contemplative people are bound to be left behind by the fast and speedy people of decisiveness and actions. VUCA is the in thing and those who are not ready are better advised to expect being left behind in a fast, and volatile world of rapid changes every minute of the day.
The London conference has reminded this writer that we, the baby boomers should level up and keep up or shut up and let the millennials take over.
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