In a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, we are constantly faced with ambiguity.   But what does ambiguity mean for us as portfolio executives and the organisations we serve?

The ‘C’ of VUCA is complexity.  Complexity arises from multiple moving parts.  The traditional approach separates each part and develops an understanding of its behaviour before addressing the whole system.  But other things start to emerge in a world of complexity.

There are two elements to this: What does it mean for you?  What does it mean in the context of the organisation you’re seeking to operate in?

In a VUCA world, we are faced with extraordinary uncertainty.  If you are going to be the trusted advisor to the CEO and build the most powerful capability you can for the clients you serve, then uncertainty has to be part of your recognition of the world in which you operate.

There are two elements to this: What does it mean for you?  What does it mean in the context of the organisation you’re seeking to operate in?

In Part One, we outlined the VUCA framework, its context, and how to respond.  This article will examine what it means to be a Portfolio Executive working with smaller organisations in a volatile world.

There are two elements to this: What does it mean for you?  What does it mean in the context of the organisation you’re seeking to operate in?

For those who haven’t heard of VUCA, it is a military doctrine developed after the Second World War when people recognised that conventional warfare wouldn’t be the only way to respond to military threats.  They realised that the world was Volatile (V), Uncertain (U), Complex (C) and Ambiguous (A).