Author: Raymond de Villiers
Digital Natives have grown up in a world that has been called the VUCA world. This is an acronym that covers four areas outlined below. V equals volatile U equals uncertain C equals complex A equals ambiguous There is a corresponding VUCA response that we can take advantage of as we walk with Digital Natives […]
Digital Natives have grown up in a world that has been called the VUCA world. This is an acronym that covers four areas outlined below.
V equals volatile
U equals uncertain
C equals complex
A equals ambiguous
There is a corresponding VUCA response that we can take advantage of as we walk with Digital Natives into the future world of work that takes VUCA dynamics as a given.
TomorrowToday has a general leadership response to the VUCA world. For leadership development:
V equals Vision
U equals Understanding
C equals Connection
A equals Agility
When considering the type of organization that will get the most out of Digital Natives (Generation Y & Z) it is also a useful framework as it describes the world they grew up in and frames their views and expectations of the world of work.
V equals Voice
In a volatile world Digital Natives need to be given the opportunity to exercise their voice. Older generations at the same work stage were expected to sit in the corner, observe, and be quiet. Digital Natives have grown up in a world that has never been stable, and from early childhood they have also never been expected to be disengaged from this reality that surrounds them.
Adults and people in leadership have always involved Digital Natives in the conversations and decisions that affect their lives. To get the most out of Digital Natives in a workplace becoming increasingly more volatile, you need to give them an opportunity to exercise their voice, and voice their wisdom, gained from growing up in a world different to anything when you experienced at the same age.
U equals Understanding
In a world of increasing uncertainty Digital Natives grew up by finding their way through trial-and-error and engaging the counsel of parents, peers, and others within their social network. Understanding is not only about engaging in dialogue as oppose to traditional managerial monologue, it is also about having the courage to have conversation with those historically expected to just listen and act.
Digital Natives have an understanding of this uncertain world that is significantly more intuitive than older management may have. Leveraging the understanding of Digital Natives will enable the creation of a team and organizational culture that is able to take uncertainty in its stride.
C equals Commitment
Generation Y have grown up in the world in constant flux and have consequently known very little real commitment. From an organizational perspective we need commitment and dedication in order to achieve real benefits from those who work with, and for, us. To get commitment from Digital Natives it be important to show your commitment to them first.
There are many ways to show commitment to Digital Natives e.g. opportunities for job rotation to get border experience, sending them on training that they request, supporting them with life skills development to navigate the quarter-life crisis, not only having an open door policy but rather no-door flat structured work environments.
The commitment that can be expected from Digital Natives is not lifelong dedication to the organization, but rather access to their extended social network for further recruitment, energized creative and new world of work relevant delivery for the time that they will be with you. Commitment my also mean that they stay with you longer than that initially anticipated when they joined the organisation.
A equals Attitude
In short, we all need to adjust our attitudes. VUCA Digital Natives need to understand that they have lessons to learn and wisdom to be developed. This comes from time. Time spent earning the rights to higher positions of influence and authority within the organizational structure. For older leaders, however, our attitude needs to be adjusted to understand that just because Digital Natives are young that does not mean that their contribution has less value.
In a VUCA world we need to understand and embrace the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of working with a demographic and generation who’ve grown up with this world and consequently see it as “normal”.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Facebook
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Excited to share the big news that I’ve been talking with many of you about already! The Launch You’ve Been Waiting For. How to Get Results #NoMatterWhat, It turns out there’s actually proven science around how to get results #NoMatterWhat. It’s all too clear that this is still a really tough time for many people […]
As I pulled into the gas station in a remote part of southeastern Utah, I was thankful to finally find cell reception to prepare for Watching Yourself. Tethering my phone’s hotspot to my laptop, I hurriedly logged onto the webinar where I was my pre-recorded presentation for a client in Texas, engaging in realtime on […]
“No doubt about it, the best speakers are good storytellers. The best writers are good storytellers, the best leaders are good storytellers, and the best teachers and trainers and coaches are good storytellers for Storytelling In Business. It might even be argued that the best parents are good storytellers.” Evidently, storytelling is not confined to […]
Some people see the glass as half full, others see it as half empty, but I just gulp it down and ask for more Optimistic During Setbacks. Life is a smorgasbord, and even though some servings are tough to swallow, you need to power through it in order to enjoy dessert. Enough with the food […]
Killing Fish – A freedivers take on spearfishing from Hanli Prinsloo who is an inspirational and motivational sustainability keynote speaker in Cape Town. ‘STRAIGHT SHOOTER’ (First published in DIVESITE Issue 3, 2011 with photographs by Roger Horrocks, Jean Marie Ghislain and Jean Treason – please read updated thoughts at bottom of article.) It was a choppy […]
Lucy Bloom is often asked how to crack the speaker circuit by aspiring professional speakers at least twice a week, so to save you buying me a coffee, here are my top ten tips for how to get your story on the stage, paid. 1. We all have a story to TELL but are you […]
The Olympics are finally here after a year-long COVID delay and how Gratitude Wires Your Brain. The Olympic Games are incredibly inspiring. These men and women give a clinic on Peak Performance for twelve action-packed days. There will be thrilling victories, world-record-breaking performances, and soul-crushing defeats. But everyone competing will be showing you what peak […]
For many of us, robots used to conjure up images of humanoids in sci-fi movies, and we thought them to be Robots are creepy? Not at all. We need them. But now that they have become so ubiquitous, this is no longer the case. More and more companies are embracing the robotics revolution, introducing […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
