In a VUCA World – one characterized by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity – the traditional approach of applying well-practised set of processes, methods and tools to a well understood and clearly defined problem simply doesn’t work. Adaptive challenges are the ‘wicked problems’ that organizations face. They are messy, boundaries aren’t clear and they tend to be systemic in nature. They require resources to be mobilized (whether you control the resources or not) in areas where there is limited experience in how to think through to the answer. So how then can organizations disrupt themselves? What's needed and what's required?

1. Disruption
in a
VUCA World
written, illustrated & performed
by Gar Mac Críosta - CITAP
Inspired Stumbling Forward
“didn’’t they used to play music”
@aspiringarc

3. on yet another Monday morning with 10,000 things ToDo…I have
Meetings (20)_

4. we’re all set when it comes to “technical challenges”….
HAMMER meet NAIL
Hiking Artist Drawing by Frits Ahlefeldt

5. But somewhere in all of this hides a VUCA challenge

6. But first some background
Richard Lynch
Amber Román
Me
5 ALIGNMENT CHALLENGES
#1 Getting agreement on the operating model
#2 Real functional alignment around the strategy
#3 Rallying around the growth strategy
#4 Addressing adaptive challenges
#5 Mobilising talent in new ways

7. I hear you say “Addressing 5 challenges in 20 minutes is impossible”

8. Let’s focus on Challenge #4
#4 “Addressing Adaptive Challenges”

9. “The mark of leadership in
the competitive world is
leading others in adaptive
work.”
Ron A. Heifetz
http://hbr.org/2001/12/the-work-of-leadership/ar/1
Don Laurie

10. So what are Adaptive Challenges

11. they are VUCA problems
VUCA – the hard to read version
Nathan Bennett & G. James Lemoine Georgia Institute of Technology

12. V for Volatile
V - Volatility - volatile adjective
2. liable to
change rapidly and unpredictably,
especially for the worse
The nature and dynamics of
change, and the nature and speed
of change forces and change
catalysts.

13. U for Uncertain
where’s
my cat?
RIP
dead or alive?
Meow!!
Heisenberg & Schrödinger as kids….
U - Uncertain - uncertain | adjective
1. not able to be relied on; not known or definite:
an uncertain future.
The lack of
predictability, the
prospects for
surprise, and the
sense of awareness
and understanding
of issues and
events.

14. C for Complex
Complex
- Complex | adjective
1. consisting of many different and
connected parts
The multiplex of forces, the
confounding of issues and the
chaos and confusion that
surround an organization.

15. A for Ambiguous
Now concentrate
this time, Dougal…
SMALL
FARAWAY
Ambiguous - ambiguous | adjective
open to more than one interpretation; not having
one obvious meaning: ambiguous phrases.
these are
but the ones out
there, those are
The haziness of reality, the potential for
misreads, and the mixed meanings of
conditions; cause-and-effect confusion.

16. This sounds like another good reason to avoid strategic planning!!!
? ?

17. Oscar Wilde
“I never put off till tomorrow
what I can possibly do
- the day after.”

18. That’s the problem with VUCA problems they stop us in our tracks
What the …?

19. the real problem is that our standard tools just don’t cut it
in the face of a adaptive challenges….but yet we persist
have a look here
http://goo.gl/qTT9FJ
for more tools

20. “Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again and
expecting different results.”
Albert Einstein

21. 3 Tips for VUCA Problems
1 – We need to recognise Adaptive Challenges &
à “Design Strategic Conversations”
2 – We need to move from Route 1Planning
à “Living In The Future” (use scenarios)
3 – We need ditch the deck & unleash our imagination
à “Give me back my crayons” (think visually)
Many possible
future outcomes
1 possible outcome

22. How do we recognise VUCA & design a strategic conversations?

23. as Lisa says
“Conversation is the
technology of management”
Lisa Kay Solomon

24. TIP 1: Meet the Adaptive Challenge GPS
1. The problem is clearly defined
2. A leader or expert provides a solution
3. Easy (enough) to resolve
TECHNICAL
1. Problem definition, solution &
implementation require new learning
2. Responsibility lives with the troups
3. (Most) difficult to resolve
ADAPTIVE

25. But we have Strategic Conversations all the time
Do you…?

26. Remember the last meeting you were at where you found you faced an
adaptive challenge….did you have a clear PURPOSE; what was it?
STRATEGIC CONVERSATION
TO DISCOVER TO DESIGN TO DECIDE 3 TYPES OF
http://www.momentsofimpactbook.com/

27. Compare Regular Meeting V Strategic Conversation
REGULAR MEETING
STRATEGIC CONVERSATION
http://www.momentsofimpactbook.com/

28. NO
ON THE SAME PAGE
“clear understanding
of the issue”
YES
NO
YES
CLEAR STRATEGIC OPTION
“clear fully developed options”
NO
YES
DECISION CLARITY
“clarity to make decisions”
DISCOVER
Design a
BUILDING UNDERSTANDING
Conversation
DESIGN
Design a
SHAPING CHOICES
Conversation
DECIDE
Design a
MAKING DECISIONS
Conversation
Adapted from http://www.momentsofimpactbook.com/

29. TIP 2: Start “living in the future”
THE PROBLEM
Dealing with UNCERTAINTY
THE SOLUTION
Who are the strategic horses in the uncertainty race?
What forces are driving future change?
Which uncertainties have a wide range of future outcomes?
Map the options?
Find the characters & stories?
THE OUTCOME
Open Minds/Uncertainty Embraced
Many possible
future outcomes

30. “Deep in our hearts, we would
all choose a scenario with no
surprises”
Pierre Wack

31. FINDING THE FUTURE WITH SCENARIOS
1. FIND THE STRATEGIC HORSES
2. FIND THE FORCES
3. FIND THE OUTCOME RANGE
4. MAP THE OUTCOMES
5. FIND THE CHARACTERS & STORIES
THE FUTURE!

32. E.G. SCENARIO PLANNING FOR ADAPTIVE CHALLENGES
Figure 3: Adaptive Challenges.
Source: Donald L. Laurie, Oyster International, LLC

33. WE DON’T GET CERTAINTY
WE GET GOOD AT
LIVING WITH UNCERTAINTY
REMEMBER

34. TIP 3 – Give me back my crayons
SCRIBBLE | DOODLE | PLAY

35. “The single greatest challenge to leaders today
is this:
We have to make more increasingly complex
ideas more clear, more quickly and more
persuasively than ever, to more audiences who
are more informed and have more access to
more information than ever.”
― Dan Roam, Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When
Words Don't Work
Dan Roam

36. SO DON’T FORGET ‘VUCA’ IN YOUR PLANNING
VUCA
WORLD

37. DO YOU HAVE A MESSY, OPEN-ENDED, ILL-DEFINED
STRATEGIC CHALLENGE WITH
POTENTIALLY BIG CONSEQUENCES?
1– Design strategic conversations
2–Find the future with scenarios
3–Break out the crayons

38. Soon to publish a new book….
STRATEGY MADE SIMPLE
inspired stumbling forward
Richard Lynch
Amber Román
Derval Kennedy
Gar Mac Críosta

39. “If you want to teach people a
new way of thinking, don't
bother trying to teach them.
Instead, give them a tool, the
use of which will lead to new
ways of thinking.”
― Richard Buckminster Fuller

40. rewiring the way organizations do
STRATEGY | INNOVATION | TRANSFORMATION
in fun, practical & imaginative ways
WWW.ARCHTEXX.COM
e: gar.maccriosta@archtexx.com
t: @aspiringarc
l: http://ie.linkedin.com/in/garmaccriosta
w: www.archtexx.com
w: www.iasaglobal.org

41. TRADITIONAL
OLD TOOLS
dense forests of
slides,
documents,
data
BIG TEAMS
infestation
of consultants
descends
MAGICIANS
FATIGUE
0-200mph leads to
organizational
fatigue
DONE TO YOU
consultants & change
agents
CHANGE YOU!!
NO BELIEF
magic
consulting
dust is
Sprinkled
“SECRET SAUCE”
SLOW & LONG
magic takes along time
people stop
believing
NO FUN
fun is
forbidden

42. ARCHTEXX
NEW TOOLS
SMALL TEAMS
we use small crack
teams of certified
architects p
COACHES
PACED
we find a rhythm that
works for you
DONE WITH YOU
it’s your business
you know it best
VISIBLE & SHAREABLE
SHORT & SHARP
we use short focused
Interventions with clear
outcomes
we make everything
big visible & shareable
we make everything useful
- tools, stories,
infographics & models
we apply open tool
with brain-friendly
coaching & change
methods
MAKE IT FUN
we use games & tools to
make it fun