It has been many years since my last post on this topic, and yet the conversation has reared its head at least twice over the past several weeks. As I think about our roles as Product Management leaders, never has the term VUCA been more prevalent. Consider these rapidly changing variables and how they impact our day-to-day lives:

• environmental – consider the new normal given the impacts and residual effects of COVID in our everyday lives (from vanishing handshakes, to more prevalent mask wearing, to remote working, etc)
• economic – volatility in the stock market I haven’t experienced as an adult, and my kids have never known
• technology – there are so many changes to consider, but the two that made me stop and wonder were these:
  • every second, there are an estimated 127 new devices connecting to the internet
  • 90% of the world’s data was collected in the last 2 years
• behaviors – the only thing advancing faster than technology is consumer expectations
• business – shift to platforms, APIs, digital, etc. … consider the fact 7 of the 10 most valuable & influential companies in the world are powered by platforms (Google, Apple, Amazon, etc.)

This type of dynamic landscape can only be characterized as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. But what does this mean in our roles as Product Management leaders?

Let’s face it, the reality of where we find ourselves today can often feel overwhelming. The examples shared earlier barely scratch the surface in describing the bullet-train of life we find ourselves on.

This HRB image I referenced in a prior post does a wonderful job of explaining the characteristics of each of the VUCA terms with poignant examples, so not necessary for me to recreate the wheel there.

Daunting, right? But as I’ve pointed out many times in the past, while we cannot always control the environment and/or the circumstances we find ourselves in … but we can control how we respond. So, take solace in this thought and let’s take a look at what our response should be.

I found a resource a while back (if I could remember where I would source it, but alas this is one I failed to keep track of), and I really liked it because as I read through the context of how leaders should navigate amidst the VUCA, it references concepts I’ve posted about many times. Hopefully this high-level summary of the points I pulled will be helpful … and I’ve included links to prior posts supporting a few of the points.

Bring Vision amidst the Volatility

• Communicate – relentlessly communicate a sense of purpose and lead people towards it
• Belief – in yourself and others, supported by facts and evidence
• Focus – ensure your team’s efforts are aligned and focused in the right areas

“As a product management leader, you’ll be most effective when your actions are aligned under the banner of an all-consuming vision“

Turn Uncertainty into Understanding

• Curiosity – ask questions that challenge the status quo in your organization every day
• Empathy – get where people are coming from – their hopes, fears and desires
• Open Mind – explore new ideas, reflect and seek constructive criticism

“There are six types of Socratic questions … all Product Management leaders should utilize as a means of critical thinking to thoroughly understand their business.”

Simply the Complex and bring Clarity

• Simplify – chop the fat, cut through the complexity and distill the core down to its essence; define the problem statement
• Intuition – use the gift of knowing without reasoning, trust your gut and your experience
• Systems thinking – approach problems from a holistic perspective

“At the risk of oversimplifying things, framing is the basic problem-solving process beginning with ensuring the right questions are being asked, and the problem is well defined and understood.”

Amidst the Ambiguous pursue Agility/Adaptability

• Decisiveness – adapt quickly to changing circumstances and make decisions with confidence
• Adapt or die – learn from your mistakes, continuously seek new ways to get better at what you do
• Empower – value networks over hierarchy, collaboration over control

“If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will.“

So, back to the title for the post … same word, completely different context. As I heard from a colleague recently, be the change in the world you want to see.