VUCA was popular in the early 2000s and made a comeback during the pandemic. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Volatility is how fast the changes around us are happening: the speedy changes lead to uncertainty. Complexity is analyzing the number of factors it will take to deal with the changes. Ambiguity is how well we understand the changes going on around us. 

Each firm has different problems that may fall under VUCA. For example, oil companies dealing with conflict in the Middle East. Since natural oil is commonly extracted there, it is going to put a strain on operations. For a chef, war in the Middle East isn’t going to affect their work. A chef would have the pandemic in their VUCA because maybe people ate out less during COVID. There are two very different challenges for the chef in comparison to the oil company. VUCA gives them both the opportunity to overcome their issues. 

Agility is the most important skill when using VUCA. VUCA can be used in jobs with volatile environments to overcome change. On the employee level, VUCA can give an edge against competitors. Employees possessing agile skills will climb ranks faster than those without. VUCA skills are highly sought after for managing positions.