If one thing is clear at the moment it is that businesses will have to get used to uncertainty for the foreseeable future.

While the media invariably accentuate the negative, that is not to say that a combination of geopolitical, climate and supply chain issues is not a feature of the world businesses are living in.

So how do businesses cope?

The key is to be flexible and willing to change direction in the short term if circumstances need it.

This article from Wired puts the situation succinctly: “Whatever the source of the disruption, in the business battle-of-the-fittest, those that re-plan and reorganise to best navigate the change will survive and thrive.”

Clearly an organisation with rigid structures and ways of doing things is not going to find it easy to be adaptable.

The key is to build in tools and processes that allow a business to respond quickly to changing situations.

That means ensuring that staff and directors are aware that they can suggest and implement changes that are necessary, that suggestions and innovations are welcome.

It is often the staff on the frontline that are in the best position to identify changing customer and client needs and they should feel confident that they will be listened to and supported if they report these issues and suggestions.

Businesses need to be dynamic and not rigid to survive in today’s uncertain climate.