What We are Learning in a VUCA World: Embrace Risk and Learn from Failure

“It is better to try something and fail rather than try nothing and succeed.” --Anonymous

As we minister in a VUCA world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, we have to be willing to take chances. In these times, the way forward is not always clear, and our skills may be lacking, but we will learn more from action than inaction. What guides this type of risk-taking?

First, we have to be ready to respond to the unexpected. During these days of the Coronavirus crisis, many church leaders are trying things that they have never done before, especially in relation to digital communication and online engagement. Churches that never considered offering their worship services online are putting Sunday worship on the internet and offering daily devotions on video. Bible study classes, youth gathering, children’s events, and committee meetings are being conducted by teleconference. Some of these are slick and others are merely adequate, but they present familiar faces and practices to disciples of the congregation during a time of stress.

Second, we may have to undertake an activity without sufficient data. We learn by doing. Who knows how many people will be involved in a ministry when we offer it for the first time? No one could predict who would access the online activities that churches have tried in recent days or the problems that might develop and there was little time to find out. In the process, however, we learn, assess and improve.

Third, we can learn from our experiences even if they seem to be failures. We only fail when we don’t learn. Through reflection, observation, and critique, we learn from our experiences and discover different ways of acting. Some questions we might ask are:

What went well?
What did you learn?
What would you change?

Winston Churchill is reported to have said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” In a VUCA world, we need the courage to try.

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