Under these conditions, those who disagree with us and hold a different perception of the world are identified as the “Other.” Barry Oshry (2018) notes that:
“. . . our cultural rules are experienced as the way to live, to survive, to be, the cultural behavior of the “other” is experienced as upsetting of our culture, as weakening it, or coarsening it, and, potentially, as threatening its survival. And we react. . . .
. . . we go Tight. We reflexively reject the behavior of the “other,” we judge it negatively, dismiss it, afford it no legitimate place in our culture. Our reflexive dismissal again allows us to avoid the discomfort of dealing with the complexity raised by the “other’s” presence.”
It is in the gulf that we find a dualistic distinction drawn between the truth and the false, between the right and the wrong, the good and the bad. Often in the distance across the gulf we observe the menacing “Other”—who is ready to engage in the false, wrong and bad. Angst has not only created the gulf, but also infused with additional anxiety as we confront the “Other” in our nightmares, our myths, our media and, on occasion, our actual interaction with someone who is an “Other.” At this early point in the essay, I wish to enter the gulf and provide a preliminary analysis of this anxiety-driven VUCA-Plus impact. I begin by offering a brief description of each VUCA-Plus challenge and then specifically consider how each contributes to the gulf and polarization between “Me/Us” and “Other.”
In essence, Complexity concerns the many elements and dynamic interaction among elements that have to be considered, while Volatility refers to the rate and shifting rate of change among the elements. The other two terms have to do with epistemology (the way in which knowledge is acquired and reality is defined). Ambiguity concerns the assessment of both the evidence available regarding reality and the meaning assigned to this reality. The fourth term, Uncertainty, is about the stability of any assessment being made regarding reality. Does reality change over a short period of time? Why do an extensive assessment if our world is constantly shifting? VUCA is deservedly becoming the coin-of-the-realm among contemporary organizational analysts. Here is a bit more detail regarding each element:
Volatility
Volatility refers the dynamics of change: its accelerating rate, intensity and speed as well as its unexpected catalysts. It concerns rapid change in an unpredictable manner. The systemic impact centers on the fact that everywhere is changing. What is the personal impact: we are often surprised and unprepared.
Uncertainty
Uncertainty refers to the lack of predictability, the increasing prospects for surprising, “disruptive” changes that often overwhelm our awareness, understanding and ability to cope with events. It concerns a lack of continuity and resulting lack of clarity regarding what is going to happen from day to day. It is hard to plan for the future or even for one or two days from now given that nothing seems to be permanently in place. This is the systemic impact. The personal impact centers on the requirement that we must keep our schedule and expectations quite flexible given the uncertainty.
