The End Game
Whichever lens is engaged, and whichever process is implemented, the fundamental purpose of an Essential lens is to keep the “end game” in mind when polystatic predictions are made and the VUCA-Plus environment is navigated. This is an existential matter. The end game might not be the actual survival of a family, organization, nation or global; however, the end game is existential if it means preserving some core (Essential) value or purpose. It is not enough just to continue existence. Why exist if there is no reason for this existence (purpose)? Why exist if it means abandoning the core values on which our existence is based?
I am reminded of a consulting contract I had with a group of small colleges in the United States. I was meeting with the presidents of these often-struggling institutions. I brough in a prominent “futurist” to assist with a planning process that was being engaged by the presidents. The futurist started by asking the presidents to spend a few minutes reflecting on what difference it would make if their college went out of business during the coming year. This respectful futurist was asking the presidents to reflect on the Essential value that their college brought to the world.
The reaction of the presidents to this assignment was passionate and highly negative. They refused to engage in this reflection and asked the futurist to leave immediately! I was not viewed in a very positive manner and had to slowly rebuild my credibility. While the presidents valued the other planning processes that I had introduced, they certainly did not appreciate being asked this existential question: what is the purpose of your institution’s existence? They threw out the existential version of an Essential lens that was offered by the Futurist. It is indeed a hard lens to deploy when planning for the future.
With these introductory comments regarding the ways in which a Lens of Essentials can be deployed, I turn to consideration of transformations that can be made regarding each of the six conditions of VUCA-Plus. Each of these transformations requires that we direct our Lens to something that is Essential. I attend in this essay to the Essential-based processes that help to transform two of the VUCA-Plus conditions: volatility and uncertainty. These transformative processes are based on the engagement of appropriate anchors and curiosity. In the second essay in this series, I introduce a process called enablement that helps to transform complexity and identify different perspectives that can be taken in predicting and making decisions–thus reducing ambiguity I conclude the second essay by providing a description of transformations to be made in confronting the final two VUCA-Plus conditions: turbulence and contradiction.
I begin in this essay with Anchors.
From Volatility to Anchoring
This first transformation concerns the engagement of Contingency in the midst of volatility. This transformation requires flexibility. Options are kept open. Learning takes place in order to modify the actions taken. As we have noted regarding Polystasis, adjustments are constantly being made—based on shifting predictions regarding the environment in which we are operating. The appropriate engagement of Contingency involves an emphasis on intentions (goals, vision, values, purposes) associated with the issue being addressed. Which of these intentions should (must) remain constant? Which can change depending on the shifting circumstances associated with this issue? I introduce the metaphor of anchor at this point to address the Contingency transformation and to provide a framework for addressing these questions.
