2020 changed everything. It is an inflection point in history. There is no going back. Nor is there a new normal state to settle into. Change, accelerating change, is the new normal state.
How can we survive and thrive in a world marked by volatility, uncertainty, complicatedness, and ambiguity (VUCA)?
Surviving and thriving in such a world requires an organisation to be constantly adaptable - meaning resilient and agile. We must cope and change. We survive by mitigating risk and absorbing shocks (resilience), and we thrive by capitalising quickly on new opportunities (agility). We change how we see the future, and how we plan for it.
Teal Unicorn has done a lot of thinking and learning about how to cope with a crazy world. Many say this is the new normal: no normal. It's not going to go back to the way it was. The post-WW2 years in Western countries - and the global economy - were, historically, exceptionally stable and peaceful. We have been in an "interbellum" period. That's unlikely to resume post-pandemic as the Ukraine invasion - at the time of writing - makes clear. VUCA is here to stay. You may be doing great or you may be struggling, but one thing is clear: what got you here won't get you there. How do we flex and writhe to survive and thrive? Teal Unicorn have been learning, and it is turning out rather well for us and for our clients.
This book shares what we have learned in theory and in practice.
To survive and thrive:
- We need more adaptable ways of working. These ways arise from new ways of thinking about work.
- Better ways of working require better ways of managing.
- Planning looks very different once we admit we are not psychic.
- We use these better ways to advance our capability safely.
- We learn to capitalise on turbulence and failure.
With these practices, you don't just survive, you can thrive. One can surf the disruptive forces to find new opportunities that open up. Turbulence - even chaos - doesn't have to be a bad thing if you are prepared for it, if your confidence is high, your systems are resilient, and your work is agile.
