How Armed Forces Veterans can make a difference in Corporate Operations and Projects to control VUCA and prevent losses /delays ?
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All over the world, veterans are contributing a lot in all fields. However the transition is not so easy. There is a lot of ground to cover. Starting first with Veterans, from my own experience, my skill sets in Armed Forces was managing a disciplined force that knew the meaning of a word called “Commitment“. A simple handshake was enough to seal a word and for that one was ready to give his life also.
However in one telecom company I served earlier , It was strange to see minutes of meeting forgotten the moment managers left the conference room. It was also odd that nobody talked about progress or feedback. One looked like an oddball if feedback was sought.
Well that is one example of humor tone but corporate life taught me loads of patience to deal with such issues. There are always a couple of failed commitments, for whatever reasons, mostly flimsy or avoidable ones. Only if someone had thought of the problem causing delay earlier, probably it would not have happened.
The best part is losses are all unintentional, nobody in corporate also means it to cause a delay or loss deliberately, but it is inevitable then, that is how the way things go !
Now most of these delays and cost overruns can be controlled. However that is possible if managers learn to be one step ahead of ‘VUCA’ problems that will come to delay your project or cause cost overruns. Now what is VUCA that causes all problems like delays and cost overruns?
VUCA means Volatile, Uncertain, Complex , Ambiguous situation. It is a terminology taken by Corporate from working conditions of Armed Forces.
Volatile : means the working condition suddenly become laden with problems.
Uncertain situations : Might know quite a bit about the situation, but we are unsure how next to proceed
Complexity : Where we may be aware of the outcome of our actions, We may have many key decision factors that are clouding our ability to make a judgment.
Ambiguity: Low in both the situational awareness and the predictability of the outcome of our actions.
Veterans if employed in Projects and Operations have the uncanny ability and natural instincts due to years of survival training, to sense the danger lurking around the corners. Like in any battle situations veterans start with the knowns and build upon them. Later as work progress there is continuous vigilance to seek out the unknowns and work to understand what information is missing and what obstacles are preventing us from moving forward.
The only problems veterans face is connecting the dots of different facets of project and operations initially. They are totally at sea what is happening and by the time they find out and settle down, they lose the opportunity to make an impact.
The Forward-Looking Manager in a VUCA world getting published and launched by SAGE ( Sept end) . It is a book especially written by a Veteran for all Veterans also apart from corporate managers.
This book will enable an easy transition to an Armed forces officer taking a premature requirement and stepping into corporate projects and operations. The book connects all past experience and skill sets of Armed Forces officer with new requirements of Corporate skill sets. The Corporate will also understand the value a veteran brings with him. It is a win win situation for both.
The book is easy to read and provides actual information what all happens at each stage of a Project from start to finish. More so it shares in a progressive and iterative manner as the project progresses, how VUCA problems can be anticipated, prevented and controlled. The author has shared many disruptive methods and tools that were used in Indian Armed Forces and now also being practiced in many MNCs and good Project/Product companies like Thermax where the Author is currently employed.
For more details and synopsis about the book click https://vikrambakshi.co/
Any veteran seeking a new career in civil street: Order your copy : The Forward-looking Manager in a VUCA World.
HAPPY READING AND A GOOD SECOND INNINGS!
https://in.sagepub.com/en-in/sas/professional-books-india
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REVIEW FROM DG RESETTLEMENT
This is a book targeted at armed forces veterans who aspire for a second career in the corporate world. The book will also serve as a guide for managers in the corporate world to dealing with VUCA effectively.
The book imbibes best practices of the armed forces as applicable in the corporate world which they can relate to easily. It is highly recommended that all officers and other ranks who are retiring read this book to understand how various departments work and function.
The experience we gain in the armed forces is immense and our skill sets are unique. When we enter the corporate world, we should contribute in a valuable manner in whatever role we have been assigned.
The ethos and values of the armed forces continue to remain our guide in whatever field we choose. The leadership qualities of the armed forces personnel stand out, and these have been amply highlighted by various examples in the book. I compliment the author for his detailed research and articulation while bringing out this book.
—Maj. Gen. Jagatbir Singh, VSM
Director General (Resettlement)
