How to find your flow in a VUCA world

Those who know me know I talk a lot about the VUCA world we now live in and the challenges it poses for business leaders. VUCA is an acronym first coined by the US army, and stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. It is used frequently in the business world to describe how challenging many work environments have become. Leaders must learn to cope with rapid change, anticipate hurdles and road blocks, and adapt their approach accordingly.  The pace has never been faster. Businesses are under constant pressure to make cut backs and streamline their approach, which can mean restructuring or adapting their working practices regularly. Over time this can leave leaders feeling they are battling daily just to keep their heads above water.

Are you resilient?

The key to thriving in this type of environment is building resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt and cope with the mental and emotional strains that daily life brings. It is not simply springing back after adversity. This suggests going back to the way things were before. It is about learning from the experience and using this knowledge to grow and move forward. It is about learning to ‘ride the rapids’. What I mean by this is learning how to handle difficult situations so that next time a similar challenge arises it is easier to navigate and does not evoke such stress.

I use the term ‘commander’s calm’ to help leaders bear in mind that if they remain calm in a crisis and demonstrate resilience their teams will take their lead and cope better through the tricky times – they will also learn to ‘ride the rapids’.

A significant part of remaining calm whilst riding the rapids is choosing when and where to focus your attention in any given situation, and being able to find your flow is the key to this.

When , where and how do you focus your attention in chaotic moments?

Finding your flow

Optimum performance is about finding your flow, whilst you are riding the rapids. Flow is experiencing a state of total concentration and inner calm so that you can really focus on delivering your best possible work. Choosing when and where to focus your attention in the midst of a challenging and stressful situations is key. In a VUCA world full of constant change this has never been more important.

Building resilience can help leaders learn where to focus attention for optimum performance, helping you to be in the moment so that you can prioritise what needs to be done and choose the right approach.

In his book, ‘Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life’ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as “to live in fullness, without waste of time or potential, expressing one’s uniqueness.” We all have our own unique set of skills, experience and viewpoints to bring to the workplace, and finding the most effective way to apply these is critical to finding our flow and performing well at work.

Finding flow in the workplace depends on two things; doing work you enjoy, and feeling you are contributing to something meaningful. If one or both of these is missing, it may be difficult to find your flow, and feel happy in your work. If your workplace is in a constant state of flux, and you are stuck in ‘riding the rapids’ mode, it may be time to re-evaluate things. Is it the workplace that is the problem, or do you just need to learn how to ride the rapids and find your flow?

Finding your flow, whilst riding the rapids.