Hey! It's VUCA Crazy Out There!
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The United States Army War College introduced the acronym VUCA somewhere between 1985 - 1992 during and following the Cold War, and then again following the 9/11/2001 attacks. The purpose was to address the resulting radical shifts in reaction to what felt like a new world order. Subsequently, it has been used to describe radical changes in other domains including businesses and professions.
See if you think Medicine is considered a VUCA industry today!
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So What Is It?
VUCA stands for:
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Volatility – Rapid, unpredictable change
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Uncertainty – An unclear present and an unpredictable future
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Complexity – A lot of interconnected factors are at play, with potential confusion and chaos
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Ambiguity – Lack of clarity and/or awareness around the challenges all abound.
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OMG! Any of That Sound Familiar?
Today's healthcare environment sounds like VUCA on steroids, and it can spark changes that act against our individual well-being, performance, and overall life satisfaction.
Turbulence, high demands, and urgency are characteristics of the VUCA world, triggering high pressure, stress and potential burnout. If unrecognized, physicians and the whole of the healthcare workforce can demonstrate decreased motivation, difficulty making decisions, fatigue and a sense of overwhelm, and lead to increased errors and other serious consequences.
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But Hold On!
These are some antidotes to the burnout potential associated with working in a VUCA environment - ways to lift beyond survival and set you on a path toward thriving. Here they are:
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Don't dwell on the past! When we overhear ourselves or our colleagues saying things like "The way we did it was better" or "We've always done it this way," recognize that holding onto the way things were may keep us from moving forward. Sure. The past was more comfortable - but the future will not dissolve for the sake of our comfort.
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Foster a growth mindset! Unlike believing our minds and potential are fixed, a growth mindset allows us to experience new paradigms without resistance or frustration.
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Think "we" not "us vs. them." Collaborating as a team and acknowledging that we have a shared pool of meaning and values strengthens our group and individual well-being and successes. Discuss, don't debate.
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Be agile with change - and remember that just when you think you have figured out the latest change, a new one will probably emerge! When we "roll with the punches," we not only shore up our own resilience, but we may actually find that change contributes to our own personal well-being, organizational well-being, and patient well-being
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Create a circle of support - family, friends and colleagues. A like-minded professional community of support (not misery buddies - LOL ...) that you know you can COUNT ON can be invaluable in helping us navigate change together.
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Don't be afraid to make mistakes! Mistakes are how we learn and can offer us great value if we are willing to use them as the ultimate lesson. Making mistakes, learning, and unlearning - without beating ourselves up for every mistake we make - is an important way to shift and thrive in a VUCA environment.
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Keep your heart out front! Now, more than ever, extending caring and compassion to one another and to ourselves serves as an antidote to what may otherwise feel like craziness and chaos. Now is the perfect time for simple human caring and simple human decency. Be kind, even in the midst of what feels insecure and precarious.
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Slow down! When our chaotic, fast paced, unpredictable environment feels like a whirlwind, step out and slow down. Pause, take a deep breath, slow down your thinking and actions. Settling down to the speed of life as it is meant to be not only provides us with more personal peace, but studies show we are actually more productive and effective. Pause ... reflect ... and choose.
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So, there it is for now.
And as always - Stay safe! Be well!
Take good care of yourselves, and one another.
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