Why an Employees Wellbeing is Critical to Thriving in a VUCA World

Adopted from the US military over a decade ago, the term ‘VUCA’ – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – describes unpredictable environments.

Driven by globalisation, economic and political instability, social and cultural shifts, and rapid technological change, today’s VUCA working environment is synonymous with new and unexpected challenges.

Creating SOUND employees is key to your organisation’s ability to thrive in this environment. A ‘SOUND’ employee is ‘resource-full’. They create, build and maintain the right cognitive, emotional and physical resources that they need and then deploy them in a way that is flexible, adaptable, innovative, smart, positive, self-aware, engaged and successful.

When employees are exhausted, stressed and channelling all of their resources into coping, that employee has reduced capacity in the smart part of the brain. Employees with depleted resources are unable to process information fully, leading to negative attitudes, cynicism, emotional responses, and an inability to adapt, change or be innovative.

SOUND employees go beyond reactively coping. They achieve this state by knowing themselves: which resources deplete them and which replenish them.

People who are SOUND monitor their resource levels, and they actively seek and develop the resources that they need when they need them. Having gained these resources, the SOUND employee chooses where to invest and deploy them. They use their resources to manage their environment, rather than the environment managing their resources.

SOUND employees are able to notice and manage their thoughts and emotions, recognising that these can use up resources unnecessarily. In understanding that the brain can work with or against them, they manage it accordingly, creating clarity of thought and rational responses. A SOUND person has the resources – and desire – to learn, grow and become better every day.

So, how can leaders create SOUND employees?

1. Provide meaning and purpose: for the employee, not the organisation! Connect the vision of the organisation to the individuals’ own aspirations and purpose. Create goals that enable both organisation and individual goals to co-exist. In doing so you are providing a cause that they can relate to, competence and connectedness.

2. Support growth and wellness, both within and outside the organisation. Individuals need to be able to live a brain-healthy lifestyle: from getting enough sleep to finding time to relax. In maintaining a healthy brain, employees can also deploy more advanced techniques to feel emotionally safe and mentally resilient. Give people what they need to be able to succeed physically, mentally and professionally.

3. Be consistent. Constant change is prevalent and necessary for an organisation’s survival in a VUCA World. Change is also important for the human: we change all the time, and the brain is exceptionally flexible, known as neuroplasticity. So employees can change.

It is a lack of consistency that the brain is hardwired to perceive as a threat. When receiving conflicting messages, it’s a wise move for the brain to err on the side of caution. What messages are you communicating to your employees? What story are you sharing? What language is being used?

Is this uniform across all areas of the business? Do actions support this story? Are the behaviours across your leadership team consistent? Are processes and norms applied in a consistent way? When words and deeds don’t match, this reduces employee safety. The natural response to this is to find somewhere that does feel safe.

4. Think carefully about the words you use when communicating. Organisational phrases such as ‘downsizing’, ‘increased efficiencies’ and ‘repurposing’ awaken employees’ fears and remove psychological safety – making it impossible for them to perform at their best.

5. Set your employees up for success. Leadership is not about you being the “boss”, the “decision maker” or having all the answers. Leadership is about enabling others. In doing this employees will see that you have their interest at heart, rather than self-promotion.

Written by Dr Sam Maher

Dr Sam Mather is a Neuro-practitioner, Leadership Consultant and author of Rise Together: A leaders guide to the science behind creating innovative, engaged and resilient employees.