VUCA may sound like an ambiguous corporate word, like synergy or circling back, but it applies to all our lives in various circumstances. VUCA means volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. I think we’ve all worked in volatile workplaces and had a lot of uncertainty when starting a new job. I know I certainly have.

I used to work at a delivery company on the customer service team, but I mainly worked directly with the delivery drivers. When I was trained for the job, I thought it would just be watching dots moving on a map and checking in with slow drivers. In actuality, I was talking to people 8-10 hours a day, acting as their coach, life mentor, therapist, and motivator. My team grew and I eventually became a team lead, meaning not only was a helping those out on the roads, but I was also helping my coworkers day to day.

The job was incredibly complex most days, from figuring out what that one driver was doing in the middle of a lake, to creating a schedule each day for a team of 15 support staff that ensured all markets were covered and no one had too much on their plates. On the days when the internet went out or our phone system stopped working, I had to coordinate with my managers to get everyone home while still ensuring the delivery drivers had no interruptions in service. Hectic does not even begin to describe those days.

In short, whether you sit behind a computer all day or are fighting fires, VUCA comes into play with our decision making and problem-solving skills. We must learn to think on our feet, making up contingency plans, and keep the business running all with a smile on our faces.