Over the last 12 years, there has been a lot of talk in the business world about the VUCA environment. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity and touches on where we live and the necessity to constantly adapt, to keep up to date with the evolution of technology and to change again and again. Some researchers have even added two Ds — diversity and disruption — to this acronym: D-VUCA-D.
In this context, what Alvin Toffler predicted in the last century has become a reality: "The illiterate of the future will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."
This means we must learn to be agile. At first glance it seems quite doable. However, it is not that easy to put it into practice. Our mental models, the way we have done things over the years, have built neural pathways in our brain. It is like driving a car. At first, when we learn to drive, we are aware of every move, but once we get used to it, it becomes second nature. We stop thinking about changing gears, indicating, braking, etc. Business nowadays requires us to learn fast, to be flexible, to adapt, to change and to relearn, but it's easier said than done.
Here are a few actions you can take to better enable your learning agility:
• Buy a notebook with black or blue pages and write in white or grey — who says that we have to write on white pages?
• Switch from writing on paper to writing on a tablet and buy one with a touch pen, so you don't give the pen up completely. It will help you draw and create different diagrams, too.
• Pick a day every week to choose a different way to work. It could be that you work from a coffee shop, you rent a desk in an open business space or you just take another street to get to your office. You will pay more attention to the road and the world around and you will be more involved in what you do.
• Take a few hours every week to reflect upon who you are and what you do. Divide your time between an analysis of the present and one of the future. Keeping in balance this X-ray of the present and the exploration of "what-ifs" will put your mind to work.
• Explore what is possible. Often, we cannot imagine what will happen in the future. However, we can imagine what could happen. We can do exercises that ask "What if?" "What could be?" and "What could happen?" You will not have the answers, but this will help you prepare for the possible scenarios.
• Know yourself. Ask for feedback from your colleagues, bosses and friends. What do they appreciate about you? If you were at an event and they had to introduce you to others, what would they say about you that shines a light on your best features? What would they say you are best at? In their opinion, what would take you to the next level?
• Ask yourself (and answer) personal questions. These include: What makes you mad, bad, sad, glad? What do you regret about life so far? What are three things you have changed your mind about? In order to change direction you need to pause and reflect. Understanding yourself first helps you better understand those around you and helps you become more adaptable.
• If you do not have a TikTok account, create one. Look at what the younger generation is doing and make efforts to understand it, to see it from their perspective. Do what they do on this platform and it will allow you to reflect on a new form of communication.
• Spend time with kids. Play with them and watch how they do things. You might notice they have other ways of reaching the same result. Follow their lead and it will help you question your own path of least resistance.
• Build knowledge. Read and listen to books, absorb podcasts, go to modern art galleries or to events that feature contemporary artists of any kind and spend quality time with people who create content. This way you will furnish your mind the same way you furnish a luxurious library — with the best resources in the world. Your mind will be your friend when you need it.
The best investment you can make is in yourself, as Warren Buffet once said. By paying attention to how we fit into the world and how we adapt, we make sure we are part of it and we evolve together with it. However, let's not fool ourselves. On the one hand, it is important to be more skillful, adaptable and knowledgable about different fields. On the other hand, it is essential to be a specialist. We cannot be everything for everyone. We cannot endlessly roll, like a stone in the waves. For the rock to gather moss, to belong to one space, it is necessary to sit in one place from time to time.
