VUCAD: A Stress Management Overview
Today’s world is increasing in complexity and challenging to navigate; one of the aspects that Meseekna centers its research and methodology is VUCAD. VUCAD stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and delayed feedback. These are the elements of stress people experience to varying degrees in their daily lives.
Volatility - Sudden unexpected changes with large consequences
Uncertainty - a varying range of known outcomes but unknown likelihood
Complexity - Multiple inputs are sometimes congruent and sometimes incongruent
Ambiguity - A lack of clarity in information and events
Delayed Feedback - The timeline of receiving needed inputs is longer than desired
The concept of VUCA has been used extensively in the literature; Professor Siegfried Streufert added the fifth critical dimension (D) to this acronym for delayed feedback. The theory postulates that while VUCA characterizes one’s environment, Delayed Feedback is another critical aspect of today’s world that defines and influences one’s coping behaviors.
A person’s responses to the challenges faced through resource allocation, strategy, and mindful actions are greatly influenced by feedback loops (positive and negative). These feedback loops can be immediate or delayed thereby impacting reactions and responses. To optimally respond to one’s environment and cope with crisis and consequent stressors it is important to look at the environment holistically and train on each of these components of VUCAD including Delayed feedback.
By learning to recognize, identify, and neutralize these stressors, people can reduce their impact of VUCAD to improve the results of their decisions, problem-solving, and crisis management.
