Robust in change

In front of more than 700 representatives of the Swiss economy, the prize was awarded as part of the ESPRIX Forum for Excellence. Under the theme "Robust action in fragile environments", an interesting and exciting top event with pure networking took place in the KKL.

Remain stable and agile

Agility is seen as the new magic word and the answer to increasingly crazy markets.

Despite all the change, however, it is important to resist the adversities of this change with stable strategies. In his speech, Federal Councillor Alain Berset made it clear what distinguishes Swiss society: "Seeing change as an opportunity". This mental resource is eminently important for Switzerland. What has made Switzerland strong so far is the "balance between competitiveness, innovative strength and social security".

For the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, "social security" is not an obstacle to innovation and competitiveness. On the contrary: "Social security is part of the market economy, of modernity." The market alone cannot satisfy people's security needs. Only those who feel secure can concentrate on work and change, he said. And, Berset added: "Good social security is what makes Switzerland's innovation society possible in the first place." According to Berset, Switzerland's innovative strength is above all due to its cultural openness, its own diversity in the smallest of spaces: "This makes us capable of globalization. For us, different cultures, languages and religions are natural." What you learn automatically in Switzerland cannot be made up in a diversity management seminar.

Alain Berset also counts openness to immigrants and their integration among Switzerland's strengths. Switzerland is far better at this than current debates would suggest. It was interesting to see how the Federal Councillor put the clamour about Germans and other foreigners at ETH Zurich into historical perspective: In the first 40 years of its existence, there were virtually no Swiss professors. "But ETH Zurich has become heavily Swissized over time - that's a fact that is simply suppressed today." Fear is not a breeding ground for ideas, says Alain Berset: "A fearful Switzerland does not produce innovations."

Shaping the future

How robust strategies lead to success in competition was the topic of the St.Gallen strategy consultant and bestselling author Dr. Ralph Scheuss. In a time of upheaval, change and surprises in the business world, proven recipes no longer count. According to Scheuss, strategies cannot simply be derived logically from the past or from trend observations. Creative, open and self-questioning thinking is the order of the day.

There should be no taboos. Only such an attitude creates the impetus for shaping the future. Many companies confuse strategy with planning and budgeting. "Those who rely on routine solutions from the past that work," Scheuss opined, "lose sight of how to successfully shape the future. »

The author from St. Gallen put it into perspective that it is not possible to seriously predict the future. This makes it all the more important to understand the developments of the present. Because this is where the "modern trend seeker" finds what he is looking for. Explaining the present is the key to recognizing the seeds of future developments. The question is not: "What will occupy us tomorrow?", but: "Which opportunities can be seized today in order to be successful tomorrow?

Swarm intelligence is experienced

Flocks of fish and birds do it, and the participants at the ESPRIX Forum were able to see it for themselves. Physicist Rainer Koppermann and his team from the consulting firm "Swarmworks " had given everyone a ladle equipped with a reflector. The movement of each individual with the trowel was immediately evaluated optically. From the individual behaviour, the collective intelligence became visible.

Modern technology makes it possible to redesign live communication with large groups on the basis of swarm intelligence methods. The whole thing takes place in real time, which gives it an even greater appeal. Under certain conditions groups are more intelligent than individuals. In this way, Koppermann offers every company solutions to harness the collective intelligence of its employees. Employees, managers and executives are closely involved and encouraged to make active contributions in a live event. The result is a mutual intellectual enrichment as well as a strongly increased identification of the individual with the processed contents.

Lead radically

Reinhard K. Sprenger also lived up to his role as a leadership expert at the ESPRIX Forum. His recipe for success is called reduction. Instead of elaborate theories and models on the subject of management, he formulated five core tasks of "radical" leadership (which is also the title of his new book), radical because they go back to the origin, the root of leadership.

The criteria against which every manager must be measured are: Organizing cooperation, reducing transaction costs, guiding and deciding conflicts of goals and values, securing future viability, and, according to Sprenger, the most important thing: leading people. He meticulously analyzed each of these core tasks and gave many practical tips on how to implement them. From the meticulous analysis of these five core tasks, Sprenger derived many handy implementation tips, for example that in organizing cooperation it is not important to promote "team spirit" in the abstract, but how a problem or project is solved together.

The ESPRIX Forum, which was led by Susanne Wille with great competence, experienced a wealth of "lived" excellence. Among others, the new boss of the Sauber Formula 1 team Monisha Kaltenborn, the first woman in the pole position of Formula 1.