The CASA Group in a VUCA World
By Michael Rattacasa, CEO of The Casa Group
As we rise out of our long pandemic-altered lives, we re-emerge into what we call a VUCA world; this world is more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. The signs are all over the modern business environment from supply chain shortages in people and materials, to the uncertainty in how the political landscape will shape our businesses in the near future. This VUCA world requires firms like The Casa Group to stress the importance of two key growth strategies that are at the heart of how we operate today and thrive in the future.
Horizon Value View
A few weeks ago, a new client called with a very small project that usually we would pass off to another firm. But something about the tone of this woman’s voice told me her project was in trouble, she had exhausted her options and was under a difficult time crunch. I contemplated the issue and decided to dig a bit more into her situation.
In a previous role, I had gone through a multiple phase leadership program and one of the first skills we learned was how to perform a deep business needs analysis. Not just the surface needs like “I need a permit by month's end”, but a more holistic examination of core and critical business needs called a horizon value view. This exploration is the difference between a physician giving you an aspirin for a headache, as opposed to exploring what led to the pain, trends in your health, other outliers and issues, and finally diagnosing you with a more serious, yet thankfully treatable blood chemistry deficiency. Anyone could have given you a pain killer, someone with a horizon value view uncovers the real issues; think years, not minutes.
When we dug into some of the horizon view needs of this new client, she was impressed we would bother, and then, slowly, she uncovered she had tremendous multi-level relationships that she was more than happy to connect us with because we solved her acute project issue. Her long term needs were much more complex and critical to sustained success.
Today, we have become an important link in her connection’s supply chains leading to massive incremental revenue. In a VUCA world, consider not just that which is directly in front of you, but rather over-the-horizon and out into the future. Ask yourself, “How can we create value together not just today but for the uncertain and ambiguous years to come?”
Agility Brand
One of the many key Casa concepts of thriving in a VUCA business world is the ubiquitous branding of agility. In today’s volatile climate, clients have massive holes in their supply chains, talent access, deal flow, and capital. We can either stiffen up and assume a rigid business posture like a 100 year old stuffy firm, or we can capture trust, new clients, new opportunities, new business lines, and young talent by making smart, but flexible decisions in the market. “We don’t do that” is an external message we banished at TCG. Instead, we look at our seasoned talent pool who eat project complexities for breakfast and say “How can we make this happen?”. That subtle shift in a VUCA world builds a narrative in our business that has led to a tremendous uptick in incremental revenue which leads to even more opportunity. No client wants to hear “we don’t…”, but most are impressed with, “let me come back to you on how we can…”.
Today, in our geography, The Casa Group continues to push our brand narrative as an agile partner. We challenge each other with ideas and expansion and it continues to amaze me how a shift in our openness is shaping the perception of our firm. I believe we will be in a VUCA state for quite some time to come as the world digests one major issue after another with likely bigger issues ahead. It is the companies that have a “Horizon Value View” along with a truly earned agility brand that will own the future.
The CASA Group, Inc. offers personalized, solutions-oriented consulting expertise, within the construction and development market through the motivation and intellect of our people.
Founded by Michael Rattacasa