Council Post: The Importance Of Creating A Strategy In A Period Of Complete Uncertainty

Vasiliy Ivanov is the Founder and CEO of KeepSolid. KeepSolid builds modern security and productivity solutions for more than 21M users. 

Who could imagine, at the start of 2020, that a global pandemic would wreak havoc on the world’s economy and send businesses into a tailspin? Now in 2021, many business owners are looking back on the past 12 months as a fight for survival instead of a time of steady expansion.

But as planning for the new year ramps up, with the right preparation, it’s possible not only to save your business but also to reach a new level of growth in a period of uncertainty. 

How To Survive In The VUCA World 

The key to success is understanding “VUCA,” an acronym that stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. “VUCA” first appeared as part of the U.S. military’s lexicon in 1987 to describe the political chaos post-Cold War. Based on my observations, this definition took root in the business world after the mortgage crisis of 2008, and the coronavirus pandemic has breathed new life into it — making it relevant far beyond the corporate sector.

Let’s look closer at the four concepts behind VUCA: 

• Volatility: This refers to the fact that the modern world is changing every second. Exchange rates are fluctuating, new global trends are emerging and foundational principles are shifting constantly.

• Uncertainty: This is the notion that the future can no longer be predicted reliably.

• Complexity: This is the idea that the modern world is multifaceted, and we need a wide range of skills to succeed in it. For example, we must not only be well-versed in technology but also in foreign languages. Jobs have become more complicated, and employees must constantly develop their abilities in order to avoid becoming obsolete. 

• Ambiguity: This is the concept that nothing is clear, and, at times, there is a lack of agreement between parties, all of which make our lives harder. 

The VUCA world characterizes human existence in the modern era, underscoring how hard it has become to predict and control day-to-day life. The key to surviving the VUCA world is understanding how to overcome it.

For small-business owners and large-scale corporate leaders, this means setting clear goals, keeping expectations clear and simple, and removing ambiguity and complexity wherever possible. Even if employees don’t have full visibility into their company’s plans, if they have clarity about what they need to do in the present moment, the VUCA world is much less intimidating.

Why Is It So Important To Plan?   

To be an effective leader, it’s important to plan, even in the face of total uncertainty. At first glance, this might seem counterintuitive; if we live in an era of complete instability, how can we possibly have a long-term perspective?

But let’s analyze this through a simple example: A small child who can’t yet contribute to society is still developing skills for the future. They’ve been learning to talk, read and write. They could choose another path —giving up completely — but there’s value to continuing on the journey of learning and growth, even if the future is unknown.  

The same applies to your company’s strategy. When there is total uncertainty about what comes next, the best thing a business leader can do is to make a plan, even if that plan changes 20 times. 

The Advantages Of Planning 

Why is planning so helpful? First, it gives your business clear guidelines for action. In force majeure circumstances like a global pandemic, effective leaders act clearly and decisively because they have planned ahead — calculating possible scenarios for their company and the associated risks. This is why I believe no crisis can knock the ground out from under the feet of a successful leader: They already have plan B in place, a fallback option for an alternative course of action.  

Secondly, having a plan in place makes it easier to correct a course of action quickly. Without any plan, it’s impossible to know what needs adjusting, and that’s when the real uncertainty comes. For example, if you responded to Covid-19 by shifting from in-person sales to e-commerce, you can spend your time refining your online sales approach. But if you had no plan to replace in-person sales, your options are limited. In a VUCA world, a company’s development depends on the flexibility of its leadership and the speed of its response to real-time events. Planning in advance can help in both of these areas. 

Planning amid uncertainty also helps coordinate team efforts. When a ship is caught in a storm, it’s already an unpleasant situation. But whether it will sink or survive a disaster depends on how well its crew can carry out efficient, coordinated actions. This means that every team member must know exactly what they need to do and when to do it. When you have a clear plan, even if a leader understands that there is uncertainty everywhere, the team will be more sure-footed about the next steps needed and how to estimate risks correctly.

In my experience, thoughtful advance planning can also have a positive impact on team engagement. Every team member wants to understand their role and how it fits into the bigger picture. If a company has clear goals and staff understand their role in achieving those goals, you might find they don’t want to look for another job. For team members, the company’s plan is a buffer against the complete uncertainty in the outside world. With a clear road map in place, employees understand the work that needs to be carried out and they spend less time on unnecessary tasks. 

If leaders have a clear vision and faith in their team, if the team has a clear plan and if that plan is based on flexible thinking and the ability to be resilient and adapt quickly, the VUCA world is no longer a threat. Constant change doesn’t need to be a source of fear anymore; it’s an opportunity for the business to develop and grow.


Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?


Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

France Unleashes 100 Billion Euro Stimulus To Revive Economy

PARIS: The French government detailed on Thursday its 100 billion euro ($118.3 billion) stimulus...

Short-Term Insurance Is Not The Problem. It’s The Solution

President Obama drastically restricted short-term insurance and Democrats oppose...

Coronavirus Threatens To Define Final Days Of Election As...

Topline Coronavirus cases are skyrocketing in the U.S. as the country heads into the...

Business of adulteration sophisticated, brands confuse consumers with language...

NEW DELHI: A day after reporting adulteration in the honey sold by major brands...