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The VUCA Learner Future-Proof Your Relevance - (Chapter 4 Who Will Win Preparing For The Future)
The VUCA Learner Future-Proof Your Relevance - (Chapter 4 Who Will Win Preparing For The Future)
The VUCA Learner Future-Proof Your Relevance - (Chapter 4 Who Will Win Preparing For The Future)
Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
was the first to have this function. After scouting for more
than a month and interviewing many candidates, I zeroed
in on Deepak (name changed), a middle-level marketing
manager with about seven years of experience. This was
a lateral shift and no promotion was promised, though it
did come at a later stage. Every one of Deepak’s colleagues
and his bosses advised him not to join as he will lose seven
years of valuable marketing experience.
I advised him that marketing is a crowded field, littered
with managers with higher qualifications such as MBA.
Deepak never acquired an MBA and now he was getting
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is generally defined as conscious knowledge
of one’s own character and feelings. We look back and
reflect on our past actions and evaluate our behaviour with
or without the feedback of others we trust. As Mahatma
Gandhi said, ‘Our greatness lies not so much in being able
to remake the world as being able to remake ourselves.’ We
actively seek to know about ourselves and our weaknesses
such as anger, procrastination and impulsiveness and make
attempts to improve ourselves with or without the help
of others. Without reflection, we do ourselves a disser-
vice by blaming others for our maladaptive behaviour and
continue our path of downward spiral of self-destruction.
Taking responsibility for our actions is the first step in
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
opening up in future.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
new knowledge.
The perils of not reflecting are that we may continue
to blame our environment for our lack of progress. The
boss is partial, the company is not doing well, competition
is tough, etc. Perhaps, we have not been bold enough to
take up challenging and riskier assignment; perhaps, we
are unwilling to leave the comfort and convenience at one
city to move to a newer unknown destination.
What can be done to help in developing the critical,
constructive and creative thinking, which is necessary for
a reflective practice?
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
a learning tool.
As an added exercise, it is advisable to start writing in
a reflective learning diary as described further.
Quietly identify a situation you encountered at your
work or in personal life that you believe could have been
dealt with more effectively.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
2. Reflect
What was your behaviour? What kind of thoughts
occurred to you? How did it make you feel? Were there
any additional factors which influenced the situation?
What were your learnings?
3. Theorize
How did the experience match with your preconceived
ideas, that is, was the outcome expected or unexpected?
What behaviour you think might have changed the
outcome?
4. Experiment
Is there anything you could do or have done to change
the outcome? What action(s) can you take to change
similar reactions in the future? What behaviour might
you attempt?
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
such talent’.
Such people when they reach positions of author-
ity stop taking bold decisions and deny hearing to those
who bring innovative solutions. Leaders with fixed mind-
sets will surround themselves with people who agree with
them, the ‘yes men’. They look for friends or partners who
will bolster their self-esteem. Their biggest fear is not to do
anything which will make them look dumb. Such people
lack resilience. They cannot believe that they can also fail
and failure becomes a big setback, hence meaning either
you are not smart or talented.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world
is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside
the world, try not to bash into the walls too much. That’s
a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you
discover one simple fact, and that is that everything
around you that you call life was made up by people that
Copyright © 2018. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd.. All rights reserved.
were no smarter than you. You gotta act. And you gotta
be willing to fail, you gotta be willing to crash and burn…
if you’re afraid of failing, you won’t get very far. [8]
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
Once you have set your mind to take the train to life-
long learning, the first stop is know yourself and learn the
knowledge and skills you possess by conducting a personal
SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
analysis.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
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The VUCA Learner
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
SWOT Matrix
The purpose of this exercise is to identify gaps in continuous
learning and prepare a learning plan for oneself. One possi-
ble SWOT exercise which we have developed with scoring
is given in the Annexure (Personal SWOT Analysis).
Some of the questions which a personal SWOT ana-
lysis attempts to answer are given after this paragraph (you
can add more as you go along). This SWOT template was
conceived by us when one of us was offered a VRS.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
Strengths Weaknesses
Strengths are the internal Weaknesses are the internal
positive aspects that are in negative aspects that are
complete control (i.e., things under one’s control but
you are really good at, value need improvement (i.e.,
you have to offer, etc.). Some lack of experience, limited
questions to ask are: knowledge, etc.). Some
Experience: Are you currently questions to ask are:
a member of any cross- Am I aware of my
functional team? weaknesses? Do I have a list
Have you in the past one which I have analysed?
year contributed to a cross- What essential tasks do I
functional project as an typically do not enjoy and
ideator/team player/project avoid?
leader? Have I invited feedback on
Is the work you or your my weaknesses from family
team does critical or core to members/friends/colleagues
the company’s strategy or and subordinates in the past
operations? six months? Have they been
Have you been assigned any forthcoming with their views
new work in the past six or do they feel shy of telling
Copyright © 2018. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd.. All rights reserved.
months? me?
Have you been asked to do Have I taken active steps to
any special assignment not overcome any weakness in
related to your job description past six months?
in the past six months? Should I lose my job today,
Have you made any do I have a contingency plan?
suggestion which has been What are obstacles to my
accepted or acted upon by growth—city/language/
your company in the past six culture adjustment/relevant
months? work experience family, age,
etc.?
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
Has your boss asked for your What was your last increment
opinion on any critical matter compared to your peer group?
in the past three months?
Networking: Are you a
member of professional
association/s?
In any of your networks/
associations, how many
meetings have you attended
in the past three months?
How many possible new
professional contacts
have you got personally
introduced to in the last
meeting/conference you
attended? I always make a
point of meeting at least
five new persons at any
conference or meet and
keep in touch by circulating
relevant information,
research and articles, etc.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
(continued)
List some of the Big Risks
you have taken in the
last three years either for
yourself, department or
organization.
Were you able to come
up with appropriate risk
management strategies to
ensure that risks were not
pure gambles?
What do other members
of your team/organization
perceive as your strengths?
Does top management/
colleagues regularly involve
you in their new initiatives?
Which of your achievements
are you most satisfied with?
Have you analysed the key
reasons?
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Developing Knowledge/
Skills
Have you read a book to
develop fresh thoughts in a
specific area in the past three
months?
Have you mapped your
knowledge/skill/competency
gaps in the past one year in
comparison to what you feel
is essential?
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
Opportunities Threats
Opportunities are the Threats are the negative
positive external conditions external conditions that
that are not under one’s are not under one’s control
control, but which can but the overall effect of
be taken advantage of which you may be able
Copyright © 2018. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
The VUCA Learner
(continued)
Have you recently brought How effective are these steps
any competitors’ weaknesses/ in the overall analysis?
strengths to brainstorm with Is your company performing
your team and colleagues? well compared to its peers in
Has your opportunity scans the industry?
led to significant new steps/ How do the external analysts
initiatives in the last one rate your company, the peer
year? group and industry prospects
over the next three years?
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.
Who Will Win: Preparing for the Future
References
1. Kharpal, Arjun. 2017, 24 April. Billionaire Jack Ma Says
CEOs Could Be Robots in 30 Years, Warns of Decades of
‘Pain’ from A.I., Internet Impact. Available at https://www.
cnbc.com/2017/04/24/jack-ma-robots-ai-internet-decades-
of-pain.html (accessed 8 February 2018).
2. Chideya, Farai. 2016. The Episodic Career. New York:
Simon & Schuster. Johnson, Whitney. 2012, July–August.
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
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The VUCA Learner
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Abidi, S., & Joshi, M. (2018). The vuca learner : Future-proof your relevance. SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd..
Created from nyulibrary-ebooks on 2023-09-04 21:13:32.