VUCA is an acronym that stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Learning to live without recognition is a skill that many employees need to have in VUCA times today.

Volatility refers to things changing quickly, but not in a predictable way. Uncertainty refers to the huge disruptive changes that often happen, which makes it difficult to prepare for what will come next.
Complexity refers to the multiple, often hard to understand, causes and factors involved in a problem.

Ambiguity refers to the causes of the things that are going on are unclear and difficult to pinpoint. This means that business and economic conditions are chaotic, which can make it difficult for organizations to keep up with employer/employee relationships because things are changing so quickly. Since these dynamics in the workforce are so chaotic and seemingly disruptive, recognition of employees, sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Lately many organizations realize, how detrimental it is not giving attention to their employees can be to their businesses.

Businesses and organizations are realizing now that recognizing and rewarding their employees has a direct positive effect on their organization and business.

Employee engagement and productivity vastly improve when they feel recognized effectively. This is been a common practice but, in VUCA times, things are moving too fast. Employers and employees are just trying to keep up with all of the changes and increasing disruptions and employee recognition, unfortunately, falls by the wayside. Dynamics of the workforce are also further complicated by different generations working together.

Generations X and Y are being hired by the “baby boomers”. There are differences between what these generations think and value in the workforce. For instance, the “baby boomer” generation believes that long hours equal loyalty to a company. While generations X and Y have more of a life/work balance. They value more flexible work hours to maintain that balance, which they believe makes them more productive at work.

These newer generations tend to prefer more of a teamwork environment. They seem to care very much about colleague relationships, sometimes even over prestige and salary. These younger generations place a great deal of value on being happy in their work environment, where the older generations did not.

The younger generations tend to leave a job where they are not happy and find other opportunities. Many times their unhappiness comes from not feeling appreciated or recognized.

Many companies are realizing this and are making the necessary changes to keep these younger employees retained. They are figuring out that maintaining them requires working environments that provide for the goals and values of these younger generations.

These generations will lead differently than their older predecessors but, when recognized for their efforts, will be happier and, therefore, more productive.

Another major challenge faced by HR in VUCA world is maintaining the perception of fairness and consistency of RnR practices among the employees. It becomes the very challenging task for HR to coordinate with Business Managers to influence them to have impartiality in the assessment of each employee being recognized for their contribution.

Learning to live without recognition in this VUCA times is a skill. However, with so many companies now making a shift and making sure that their employees are recognized, it will likely be a skill that not many will need to have but to those weak hearted employees who feel despite their tremendous efforts they were not being recognized.

Employees need to learn and understand companies have hired them to work and if line managers are not recognizing their effort then they must understand that they are employed to do the work, and external motivational is optional. There is a great possibility some of you might get recognized it and some of you might not get recognized, but it does not mean that you efforts are going waste.

Companies can continue to thrive and maintain positive working environments for their employees despite VUCA. Learning to live without recognition is a skill that many employees need to have in VUCA times today. (Click this link to read a corporate story ).

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