Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.||
Jimmy Carter – U.S. President
Working It in VUCA time emphasizes Risk Based, Problem Solving (RBPS) and Risk Based, Decision Making (RBDM), which are the essence of self-management, execution, career resilience, and career agility.
Years ago, our mantra was risk management should be part of the tool box of all engineers. Why? Engineers live and work in the world of uncertainty and risk. Then things changed. In VUCA time, we say that risk is the entire toolkit and lens for ALL work and living in VUCA time. McKinsey, the global consulting firm, explains the connection between problem solving and decision making:
“Problem solving is decision making when there is complexity and uncertainty that rule out obvious answers and where there are consequences that make the work to get good answers worth it”[i]
Most work innovation and career success involve risk and even failure. Why failure? Ultimate success requires multiple attempts, risk acceptance, high tolerance for failure, and personal resilience.
Designing your Future of Work (FOW) involves making intentional smart choices based on your risk appetite and understanding that your problem solving and decision making have consequences:
“Good risk management does not imply avoiding all risks at all costs. It means making informed choices regarding the risks the company wants to take in pursuit of its objectives and the measures to mitigate those risks.”[ii]
Work Lesson Earned: World Economic Forum called complex problem solving the number one skill for the twenty-first century.[iii] There are many ways to problem solve and decide. So, do what works for you. McKinsey offers the following RBPS insight:
“Whether you work in industry, the nonprofit sector or government, there is no way to anticipate and plan for the new structure and operational rules that are unfolding. … The only way to successfully navigate the level of (COVID) change is to be a fluid and creative problem solver.”[iv]
So, how do you solve problems and made decisions? Do you separate problems and decisions into priority, timing, and risk?
[i] McKinsey, Bullet Proof Problem Solving, 2018
[ii] ‘Risk Appetite: The Strategic Balancing Act’, EY, 2010.
[iii] McKinsey, Bullet Proof Problem Solving, 2018.
[iv] McKinsey, Bullet Proof Problem Solving, 2018.
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