The Art of The Ask - p.1 VUCA Environment
Blockbuster. Kodak. Toys R’ Us.
Good businesses go to die when leaders don’t ask the right questions. The next three blog posts will be about the questions leaders need to ask about their business environment, themselves and their teams.
Today we will exist in the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. Technology such as AI (artificial intelligence) has only increased the volatility and uncertainty of the business world.
Below are some questions you can ask to help your business adapt and survive these times.
Volatility
What emerging trends or disruptions could impact our organization?
How can increase agility in our teams and processes to respond quickly to sudden changes?
Uncertainty
What automatic assumptions are we making about the future, and how can we test them?
What contingency plans do we have in place for different worst-case scenarios?
Complexity
What interconnected factors or variables are we not considering that could influence our decisions?
How can we simplify our processes or strategies to manage complexity more effectively?
Ambiguity
What are the unknowns in our current environment and how do we gain more clarity?
How can we encourage a culture of experimentation and learning to deal with ambiguous situations?
Leadership & Strategy
How can we align our team around clear mission, vision and values while remaining flexible in our business approach?
What can we do to support resilience and morale among our team members during uncertain times?
Reflection Question: How will you build these questions consistently into your leadership practice?
