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Complexity.

What it is (and what not).

Why that matters (particularly now).

What might make it particularly challenging for us business lawyers.

And some practical ways to deal with all that in real life.

VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) is an attempt to describe the modern landscape.

Coined in the mid-eighties, it came to prominence right at the end of the cold war.

By now it has secured a firm place in the vernacular of the discourse around strategy and systems.

In a series looking at the concept as such and its component parts, this is the third issue.

It looks at the "U" for Uncertainty and explores (inter alia) approaches to deal with an environment ripe with unpredictability, not having all the facts - while still having to make decisions and move forward.

There is a lot of talk about volatility. Whether in the context of VUCA or otherwise.

And yet, it does not always seem to be clear what that term really means. Whether it is actually problematic. And how we can use the concept in the context of our work.

This episode aims to provide an initial, quite pragmatic unlock.

Things change. A lot. This four-letter term helps to move forward.

The words we use matter.

For our counterparts as well as for ourselves and the posture we assume.

A helpful heuristic to calibrate behavior when faced with a power differential.

In 1923 George Mallory said three words that were called "the most famous words in climbing".

More than 100 years they continue to be relevant far beyond climbing and mountaineering and serve as a timely reminder at the threshold of the new year.

All the best for 2025!

12 foundational thoughts and ideas I come back to time and time again.

Like a reference manual. Or an operating system.

When I stay aligned to them, things tend to go fine.

If not, not.

"Adding value" is right at the top of BS bingo for corporate communication.

This is about that.

And an alternative.

This is about a plan going totally wrong.

About first principles thinking leading to unexpected possibilities.

About the power of a good book.

And about a love story.

To find out more about me and what I do, visit me at www.malteholthaus.com.