Organizations are navigating unprecedented levels of uncertainty. The business landscape is now characterized by volatility, geopolitical tensions, and economic shifts. Leaders are being asked to make critical decisions, but without the clarity they’ve traditionally relied on. The truth is, uncertainty is not a short-term challenge; it has become a permanent fixture in business. Leaders who can adjust their strategies to account for this new norm will be the ones who thrive.
Uncertainty is not just a buzzword—it’s a reality that’s being felt across industries worldwide. According to the Uncertainty Index by the Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) project, uncertainty levels have been at record highs since 2020. Geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions, and economic downturns have contributed to this increase.
Leaders are being forced to make decisions with limited visibility. The challenge isn’t just the unpredictability of the future, but the fact that traditional data sources are fragmented, often scattered across different systems and departments.
Toni Keskinen, Co-founder and CPO of 180ops, emphasizes this issue:
“Without alignment across teams, even the best data can’t provide the clarity needed to make strategic decisions. You’re essentially navigating in the dark.”
As departments like marketing, sales, and customer service operate in silos, they are each working toward different goals and metrics. This disconnect makes it harder to adapt to the challenges posed by uncertainty, creating friction and inefficiency across the organization.
Nearly one-third (30%) of Chief Data and Analytics Officers (CDAOs) said their top challenge is the inability to measure data, analytics, and AI impact, according to a recent Gartner survey.
The fragmentation of data is one of the primary reasons why organizations struggle to overcome uncertainty. When different departments use separate systems with different metrics, they end up making decisions in isolation—often pulling in different directions. This misalignment exacerbates the uncertainty they face and reduces the ability to make well-informed, coordinated decisions.
However, data alone isn’t enough. What’s needed is a system that unites data across departments and provides a shared perspective.
“A unified strategy and aligned teams are key to reducing uncertainty,” says Toni. “When everyone is working toward the same goals and using the same data, leaders can act with more confidence.”
Adapting to uncertainty requires more than just reacting to changes in the environment—it requires proactive leadership and the ability to embrace flexible strategies.
Scenario planning is one powerful tool that can help businesses prepare for multiple potential futures. Bain & Company highlights that scenario planning allows leaders to craft flexible strategies that can be quickly adapted based on shifts in the market. This method ensures that, regardless of the future path, organizations will have a plan in place that can adapt to new challenges.
In addition, companies that prioritize agility are better positioned to navigate uncertainty. This means iterating on strategies and making incremental decisions that allow for adjustments as new information becomes available. Leaders must be ready to pivot quickly, with a focus on responding to short-term changes while keeping long-term goals in sight.
Neither of these aspects, however, will save you if you’re not looking at your data in realtime. This visibility is like the fuel that powers both scenario planning and agility.
As Toni explains in this clip, change doesn’t affect all companies—or even all offerings—the same way. The key to navigating uncertainty is understanding where demand is growing, where it’s declining, and how to reallocate your efforts accordingly:
When you have unified, up‑to‑the‑minute signals from every corner of your revenue engine, you can:
With real‑time data at your fingertips, you transform uncertainty from a threat into a signal—the very input you need to steer confidently through whatever comes next.
In the fall of 2024, many Finnish companies made the reactive decision to lay off employees, particularly in their commercial teams, aiming to improve short-term profitability. While these cuts may have boosted profit margins temporarily, they left these companies unprepared to scale when the market started to recover.
"They ended up sacrificing long-term growth for a short-term win," says Toni. "When things picked up, they didn't have the talent in place to scale quickly because they had let go of the very people who could have driven that growth."
Instead of letting go of key resources, companies could have used data to identify areas still performing well and reallocated their existing workforce. By doing so, they could have weathered the short-term dip while ensuring they had the necessary talent in-house to scale up once conditions improved.
Uncertainty is here to stay, and business leaders need to rethink how they approach decision-making. It’s no longer enough to rely on isolated data or make decisions based on a single perspective. Leaders who thrive in this new reality will be those who embrace data integration, align their teams around shared goals, and build strategies that are flexible and adaptable to change.
As Toni put it:
“The future of business isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about having the ability to adapt quickly and stay aligned with your team, no matter what comes your way.”
In an environment of constant change, embracing alignment and agility with the right tools can help you lead with confidence. Ready to explore how 180ops can help your teams navigate uncertainty? Get in touch with us today.