Utilising the Habits of Mind to Reach the Right Side of VUCA
I first encountered the term VUCA when reading Bob Johansen’s book (2007), Get There Early. As I tried to understand the concept of a world that was undergoing major shifts and confusion, VUCA made sense to me. VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
See if these four concepts fit in your situation whether it be a family, company or social agency. I found the graphic below on the Internet:
Education, and the world for that matter, has been dealing with the left side of this graphic for a long time. In my opinion, it doesn’t seem to be getting much better as viewed from the national or global perspective. I sit here in my home under house arrest (COVID-19 isolation) and the question that haunts me is, “How do we respond in a VUCA world that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon?”
How do we get to get to the right side of VUCA? We want Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility to successfully navigate these difficult times. As a long-time friend and colleague of Art Costa and Bena Kallick, a trainer in Habits of Mind and having lots of practical experience, I offer my current thinking. Apply the Habits of Mind to get from the left side to the right side of the VUCA diagram. I have put four of the habits in each of the four parts of VUCA. I know that many of the habits will fit in different places, so this is simply a place to start. Feel free to make it workable for you and your situation.
Volatility to Vision
The current COVID-19 is the latest event that is causing us to change in many areas. Those who think we will be going back to normal (whatever that is) are kidding themselves. Think about hurricanes, wars, viruses, global financial issues, etc. Chief Seattle said years ago, “Everything is connected.” Why is vision so important? As Lewis Carroll said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
Habits That Might Help at This Stage Are:
Persisting – Staying on track helps get to our goal. Ray Kroc of McDonald’s said, and I paraphrase, “Persistence is more important than talent or education.”
Managing Impulsivity – There is a Chinese Proverb that says, “It is easier to stay out than get out.” Think about the time, energy, money and emotional costs of getting into a situation without thinking about the long-term consequences.
Metacognition – Thinking about our thinking can help in that we generally react based on previous successful ideas. Once we learn other ways to think about issues, we can create multiple ways of framing an issue.
Taking Responsible Risks – John Shedd was quoted as saying, “Ships in harbor are safe but that is not what ships are built for.” Yes, failure is an option. Smart people learn from what doesn’t work as well as what does. Trammel Crow said, “There is as much risk in doing something as doing nothing.”
Uncertainty to Understanding
Most of us like certainty. The sun does come up every day (so far). The world is getting more diverse in many ways. One of my favorite quotes is from Karen Clark: “Life is change, growth is optional, choose wisely.” Problems will continue to arise in our life. The only control is how we respond to them.
Habits That Might Help at This Stage Are:
Listening with Understanding & Empathy – When we listen to others, they tell us what they think and sometimes what beliefs drive those thoughts. Empathy increases a positive relationship which can provide even more learning from others.
Thinking & Communicating with Clarity & Precision – Asking questions helps clarify my thinking and for the other person as well. The more precise the language, the better the communication.
Thinking Interdependently – We work in systems. I can’t think of any jobs that are totally isolated. Others give us ideas, energy, perspective, and if we think both short-term and long- term, we are able to see future consequences. School staff is interdependent with students, colleagues and parents. We don’t operate in a vacuum.
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning – We need repertoire. The more strategies we learn, share with colleagues and help students at different levels, the better we are prepared for the challenges ahead.
Complexity to Clarity
Life is complex. Most problems are interconnected. Changing one part can create unintended consequences in another part. This is why getting clarity is so critical. Making sure we keep the goals in mind, like vision, helps us define the goal. Leading indicators, or formative assessments, give us a chance to change before final results. Data at the end of the year are lagging indicators, making it too late for adjustments.
Habits That Might Help at This Stage Are:
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations – Past behaviour can be helpful. A few examples: Hand grenade technology used for airbags in cars; removing burrs from a dog led to Velcro. I want to be around people who see something I don’t. As a result, I learn.
Finding Humour – Humour has been shown to help creativity. There are techniques like synectics and mprov that can help unleash creative thinking. Humour sometimes connects disconnected information.
Questioning & Problem Posing – Clarifying the issue is the first step. Questions help this process. Questions also can surface assumptions, both positive and negative, to help clarify the goal. Unquestioned assumptions often lead to unintended consequences. When I hear, “It’s always been that way,” I know there are unquestioned assumptions at work.
Striving for Accuracy – Data can be extremely helpful. Caution: focus on data that is relevant. Too often we drink from a fire hose. What data will help us know we are getting closer to a solution or farther away?
Ambiguity to Agility
In working with Scenario Planning processes we start with what is known, what we know we don’t know, and what we don’t know we don’t know. Yikes. General Shinseki said, “If you don’t like change, you are going to like irrelevance a lot less.” This applies to many current systems.
Thinking Flexibly – Mary Catherine Bateson (1989) said, “Life is improvisation.” The longer I live, the more I believe this. This is why I say repertoire and the ability to use that repertoire is so important in education and life. Creativity and flexibility will help survive and thrive in all kinds of places. Thank you to my former students for teaching me this. I am better for it.
Gathering Data through all your Senses – A story Art Costa told me over thirty years ago is that while filming the movie, Ordinary People, the director told the cinematographers, “Go find a place that looks like this song sounds like.” The song was Pachelbel’s Canon. We‘ve all heard about visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Don’t forget the Olfactory and Gustatory senses. You might smell a rat or taste a bitter pill.
Creating, Imagining, & Innovating – As we think about the future, this Habit of Mind will become even more important. How has technology progressed so quickly and made such an impact? How has the medical field saved more lives and prevented many diseases? I love the Disney name for some of their staff: Imagineers. I really bristle when someone says, “We can’t do this,’ or “We can’t do it with these kids.’ BULLFEATHERS. Teams can and will.
Responding with Wonderment & Awe – Finishing with this habit seems so right. As I look back over forty plus years in education, I am grateful for the heroes and sheroes that I have worked with in schools and projects. One of my first senior leaders, Dr. Ken Northwick, told me in 1971 that I never stop to smell the roses. He was right then and I still have trouble slowing down even today. I have seen staff and kids turn schools into caring communities with learning and social action as a driver. I have learned so much from colleagues and kids.
Yes, we have done some great things. Yes, we have lots to do as the VUCA left can overwhelm us. I am suggesting with the Habits of Mind we can move to VUCA right. I end this with two quotes:
“If your job is waking up the dead, GET UP, TODAY IS A WORKDAY.”
–Angeles Arrien
“Somebody thought of it, and someone believed it and look what it’s done so far.”
–Kermit the Frog
