BANI environment takes over from VUCA? In recent years, we have been talking about the VUCA environment (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), but it seems that these adjectives are becoming obsolete and are being replaced by a new business paradigm: the BANI environment, an acronym for Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear and Incomprehensible.
What does a BANI environment look like?
What is BANI and how has it come to occupy so quickly what we knew until very recently as VUCA?
As the creator of this concept, Jamais Casio, explains, “we are in an era of chaos, intense, almost violently rejecting structure”, so VUCA is no longer enough, as a framework is needed to make sense of the consequences of today’s world.
The BANI environment is non-linear, brittle and full of uncertainty. We are more fragile than we realize, and the pandemic has shown us that.
Anxiety is the response that is generated when faced with a context that is so unpredictable and makes us brittle.
There is also no certainty that a decision taken will generate a certain consequence, and for that reason, it does not make sense to conceive long-term actions and plans. You have to be prepared to move forward and backward at any time.
This environment is also incomprehensible, due to information overload. We strive to find answers, but it is not always possible to find them.
Does the new BANI environment impact office design?
There is no doubt that a BANI environment affects us in multiple ways, and may seem catastrophic; however, its author argues that it is actually a great opportunity to generate change before it is too late, especially within our organizations.
Thus Jamais Casio proposes these strategies in response: In the face of fragility, resilience; in the face of anxiety, empathy and mindfulness; in the face of non-linearity, context and flexibility; and in the face of its incomprehensible nature, transparency and intuition.
These strategies are anchored in various initiatives and programs and in a new culture that is more flexible, transparent and team-based.
And any cultural transformation needs a workspace to accompany and facilitate it, so the BANI environment is certainly already impacting office design.
Office design in the BANI environment
Office design is increasingly focused on BANI environments, a concept that promotes well-being and productivity.
The quality of a BANI environment is based on an organization’s commitment to provide its employees with a flexible environment that stimulates creativity, intuition and innovation. They include different versatile and flexible environments that allow employees to work at their own pace, as well as an interior design that promotes well-being, and this refers to factors such as air quality, sustainability, adequate lighting and ergonomic furniture design, among others.
The BANI philosophy also seeks to accommodate diversity, creativity and technological advances to improve work performance.
At the heart of the BANI concept is the idea of creating unique spaces that allow workers to do their best work. These spaces cater to the needs of each person, whether it is facilitating teamwork through different areas, encouraging networking through collaborative spaces, or providing rest areas to re-energize.
On the other hand, the BANI environment also addresses the impact of technology on the way employees relate to each other and to their employers, and on the security of that technology.
Ultimately, this approach is changing the way professionals around the world work. This trend has been supported by scientific research showing that a well-designed office environment can have a real impact on productivity.
