V U C A world

Volatility. Uncertainty. Complexity. Ambiguity.

VUCA is used to help leaders and organisations understand the world in which their business operates. It is an acronym frequently used at Emerging World and is central to our programme design. The term VUCA, an acronym of Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous was originated by the American military to describe extreme conditions during warfare. VUCA has more recently been adopted by an increasing number of CEO’s and organisations as a framework to approach different types of challenging situations bought about due to external factors such as politics, economics, society, advancing technology and the environment. To provide insight on the relevance of VUCA for today’s leaders, and to highlight the importance of having the ability, skills and mindset to lead in VUCA world, the following list provides examples of each element:

V

VOLATILITY

We live in a world that’s constantly changing, becoming more unstable each day, where changes big and small are becoming more unpredictable – and they’re getting more and more dramatic and happening faster and faster. As events unfold in completely unexpected ways, it’s becoming impossible to determine cause and effect.

U

UNCERTAINTY

It is becoming even more difficult to predict and calculate events. Past experience as well as forecasts form an ever worsening basis for drawing conclusions about the future. We are all confronted with more and more "surprises".

C

COMPLEXITY

Our modern world is more complex than ever. What are the reasons? What are the effects? – Problems and their repercussions are more multi-layered, harder to understand. The different layers intermingle, making it impossible to get an overview of how things are related. Decisions are reduced to a tangled mesh of reaction and counter-reaction – and choosing the single correct path is almost impossible.

A

AMBIGUITY

Ambiguity refers to a situation or information that does not allow a precise assessment. "What does that mean now?" is the question we ask ourselves in such a case. Unfortunately, there are no single answers, only many. In other words, there are neither black nor white options, but many colorful ones.

What is Agile?

Agile is a collection of principles used in software development and project management. Agile focuses on enabling teams to deliver work in small, workable increments, thus delivering value to their customers with ease. Evaluation of the requirements, plans, and results take place continuously. This helps the team in responding to changes in a quick manner.

  • Accelerate product delivery- it is faster
  • Enhance ability to manage changing priorities- it is better
  • Increase productivity- it is cheaper
  • Improve project visibility- it is less risky

Why Agile?

Why Agile

Agile is a response to new business realities and challenges. It brings flexible business models and allows organizations to succeed in today’s constantly changing world. If you look at how business has changed in just the past twenty years and how many originally successful organizations failed to keep up and consequently went out of business, you cannot doubt that organizational change is a requirement for success.