Training in times of uncertainty

30 Jan

The coronavirus pandemic has changed all our lives and livelihoods for over a year now. While the vaccines offer hope, many other aspects of our lives remain full of uncertainty, including our work lives.In managerial circles, the term VUCA is used to describe this state. Said to originate from the US Army, where it described the new world emerging at the end of the Cold War, VUCA stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. There are numerous versions of its meaning, including a good one here, but at BiteSize we view things through the lens of leadership development, so our definition of VUCA is this:Volatility – many sectors, from automotive to healthcare, are changing rapidly. A volatile workplace can be detrimental to productivity, as well as incredibly stressful. Sometimes it’s down to poor managerial or staff training, personality conflicts, inefficient systems or processes, or the workflow pressures related to a particular sector. Uncertainty – Dr David Rock suggests we can think of our brains as vast prediction machines, and when they can’t predict an outcome an alert is triggered, and a threat response occurs. He says: “Uncertainty is like an inability to create a complete map of a situation. With parts missing, you're not as comfortable as when the map is complete.”Complexity – we need to look no further than the way we communicate on a daily basis to see how complex our lives have become. How many text messages, WhatsApps, emails, phone calls, LinkedIn or Facebook notifications did you read or make today? This simple example can easily be translated to the workplace, where we encounter endless reports, memos, meetings, revised strategies, mergers etc.Ambiguity – in complex, fast-changing environments, decisions sometimes have to be made without knowing the full picture. Innovation is high on businesses’ agendas, requiring leaders to make bold decisions and take risks. Adaptability to change is now essential for business leaders. So how should we be equipping leaders for this uncertain world? The good news is that you can to do it through training. What’s more, recent research from Yale University shows uncertainty actually boosts learning.Here are our course recommendations for managing in a VUCA world, all delivered in bite-size formats for instant, translatable actions:

Managing Change – leaders learn techniques and models to drive and manage successful change programmes of all sizes and types.
Resilience - when people feel disempowered and out of balance, they are unable to think or communicate clearly. This course gives people the knowledge and strategies to operate at peak performance in a demanding world.
Success through Change – a personal effectiveness course that ensures people are heard and included in times of change. The sense of increased control in volatile business environments reduces stress.
Motivation – this course helps leaders to understand their teams’ motivations and to align them with business needs. Practical tools will help them generate results.
Leadership Communication – leaders learn techniques for engaging others and drawing contributions, using stories and questioning skills to reinforce their message and build trust.