[“The New (Ab)Normal” is available free of charge as a pdf file that can be downloaded by clicking the button below this summary description.]
In my new book on the challenging [(ab)normal] world we are now facing, I have proposed that collective anxiety (angst) is linked specifically to six conditions: volatility (V), uncertainty (U), complexity (C), ambiguity (A), turbulence (+) and contradiction (+) (VUCA-Plus). These six conditions make the amelioration of Angst much more difficult. This cognitive and affective difficulty, in turn, tends to pull us toward simplistic, reality-denying, and polarizing beliefs and solutions. There is an important ramification here for those who seek to lead 21st-century organizations and social systems.
These leaders often must deal with the major VUCA-Plus-related challenges that escalate and sustain collective Angst. These women and men seem to be stranded on a boat caught up in the “perfect storm” of societal Angst. This is especially challenging when confronted with a major disruptive wave, such as COVID-19, that is washing over the boat. Leadership in our 21st-century societies has become even more challenging given these unique Black Swan waves, as well as the big VUCA-Plus waves that are crashing over our boat right now.
The fundamental challenges in a VUCA-Plus environment involve determining what is “real” and how one forms beliefs, as well as predicting and making decisions based on beliefs and an assessment of this elusive reality. These thoughtful reflections are not easily engaged when the waves are crashing over us. We are anxious and exhausted. It is tempting to seek an easier way to meet mid-21st-century challenges. An alternative exists right before our “eyes” (and hearts).
Rather than confronting the challenges of VUCA-Plus, we can find ourselves in a real (or invented) land of serenity. Instead of volatility (V) we find stability (S). Uncertainty (U) is replaced by Certainty (C). We find SC rather than VU. This is a world of Simplicity (S) rather than Complexity (C), while the ambiguity (A) of VUCA-Plus is replaced with clarity (C). Another SC replaces CA. We find a two-fold SC. It is SC².
Serenity loves redundancy – and we have it with two SCs! Dwelling in this wonderland, we no longer have to navigate a turbulent environment. Rather there is calm. There is also consistency rather than contradiction. We can add calm and consistency to the world of SC². We now find the compelling “charm” of our six alternatives to VUCA-Plus in full operation. SC²+ is alive and well!
Serenity is achieved when these SC²+ conditions converge. SC²+ provides a formula for the achievement of Serenity. Together these six conditions of serenity yield something of a utopian environment. Stability, certainty, simplicity, clarity, calm, and consistency perhaps even offer us a touch of Eden . . .without the snake.
In this book, I offer alternatives to Serenity: we must transform these conditions into opportunities for anchoring, curiosity, and enablement. We must entertain multiple perspectives, engage with others in collective learning, and integrate emerging polarities.
