Archiv der Kategorie: Management

Here you find topics like planning, organization and leadership.

It’s not always a problem – for everybody

The crucial question is not whether conspicuities are a problem, but for whom and from when. The starting point for solving a problem is the moment when someone turns a circumstance into a problem. The example of the clever handling of problems has become well-known with the production system of Toyota. There, employees can stop the production line, if they recognize an error that can not be solved immediately. Of course, this requires a corresponding understanding of what a mistake is and the fact that the deviation is perceived and the employees consider themselves responsible. It already starts with small things. Although a broken pencil is not complete anymore, it still works. Not everybody bothers with the flaw, as long as they can write with it. And even if an issue is seen as a problem that does not mean that someone feels responsible and takes care of it. It’s simply not always a problem – for everybody.

At first a problem must cross the perceptual threshold of the people involved before they can take care of it. The level depends on commonly known mechanisms.

  • Influence of stereotypes
    General metrics should normally allow the early detection of problems. However, the processing of the parameters is distorted by supplemental information, such as vivid stereotypes, so that they get more weight than the objective measurements. If someone, who has an unreliable reputation, delivers the figures, they are recognized less than if they come from a respected person. Accordingly, not all problems become problems.
  • Influence of moods
    Experiences are deeply engraved into our subconscious mind. Every time something is repeating, the related emotional anchor is strengthened without us realizing. If we encounter a similar situation, these feelings are activated and influence our assessment. If a specific situation has already occurred more often without any damage, this can lead to the fact that the situation is not recognized as a problem. Accordingly, not all problems become problems.
  • Influence of similar circumstances
    An assessment never takes place solely on the basis of the current case. It automatically takes into account similar situations. The resemblance is a matter of the content, the acting people and the other context. Once you have found your benchmarks, you align yourself with the conclusions and results of these comparative cases. If a thousand times nothing has happened, when the signals went red, then also nothing will happen this time. Accordingly, not all problems become problems.
  • Influence of convictions
    The consideration of a situation is also naturally shaped by one’s own beliefs and mental patterns. It is very unlikely that people question their own values ​​and conclusions with an opposite assessment. As a result, you do not use the visible but conflicting information in order to show a problem just because they do not fit your worldview. The reliable friend does not suddenly become unreliable. Accordingly, not all problems become problems.
  • Influence of other filters
    Our attention is limited by many additional filters. For example, the latest information has more impact than older ones; or obvious arguments are more important than not so obvious ones; or negative are affecting more than positive ones. When an opinion has formed, it will be difficult to change it again. The whole culminates in what is generally called prejudice. The technician is then unable to understand the customer and the sales person lacks the understanding of the technology – which means that their remarks are not taken into account. Accordingly, not all problems become problems.

Bottom line: Problems are the result of a subjective consideration of striking circumstances, which are only considered delicate, when they exceed the perception threshold of the people. The necessary attention is influenced by stereotypes, moods, views of the world and many other filters. Only when these factors are overcome and a problem becomes, what it is, only then we can take care of solving the problem. It’s simply not always a problem – for everybody.

Consultants – Magician, Maker, Co-worker

Since the beginning of the information age, employment has shifted away from physical to mental work. These services, which are no longer assigned in small tasks to individual workers, are fulfilled responsibly by employees and management staff. With the digitalization, automated routines are now being transferred to the virtual world. The logic of the business must be processed in such a way that the computers can be fed with appropriate algorithms. This requires knowledge that goes beyond the previous execution of subtasks. The corresponding abilities are no longer characterized by the specific knowledge of experts, but by a general understanding of the respective business models and subject areas (see here). The design of the coming world is temporarily taken over by internal and external consultants, who support the full-time employees. The necessary roles go from visionaries, to activists, to knowledge-line workers.

The three types of consultants are called magicians, makers as well as co-workers and differ as follows.

  • The Magicians
    This type of consultant, who is concentrated on the future, has answers for fundamental questions of the business. The business base is challenged by political, economical, sociocultural, technological, legal and ecological influences. The workforce and the management team are part of the problem and professionally blinkered. The only other option to the external consultants would be internal lateral thinkers, who are given the freedom to think differently. Unfortunately these types of employees are systematically pushed out of the company. As a result, only external suggestions can map out the need for action, trigger the change and accompany the implementation from a neutral perspective. The most important skills of these catalysts are a good understanding of current trends, practical opportunities and systemic interrelations. In addition, such advisors must be convincing spokespersons because they have to reach and convince all levels in the company. The consultations require a lot of management confidence, since they have far-reaching consequences for the company. The difficulty, the duration and the risk of implementation, as well as the few fitting consultants, result in relatively high prices.
  • The makers
    The most effective type of consultant is the temporarily pro-active executive, who steps up to the plate and solves problems. It is all about the implementation of new business models, procedural and organizational structures, mergers and joint ventures, the introduction of new IT systems or technologies. Employees and managers must replace old approaches with unknown new ones. This challenges the applied routine and the everyday culture. Internal managers have understandably difficulties, as they also have to overcome the usual procedures and frameworks. At least during the transition, this is particularly difficult. The old system has to continue being controlled and at the same time the new one has to be introduced. The external consultants, who are deployed as an interim manager or project manager, are free from internal business legacies and obligations, which allow them to take better care of the new. Due to the temporary assignment, the change makers will be at a certain point in time gone and thus avoid stresses in the long-term internal cooperation. Usually these managers have a good political feel, great abilities of integration and the strength to assert oneself. In these cases the degree of difficulty and the risk of implementation as well as the size of the company determine the costs. The relatively high availability of these makers results in medium-range prices.
  • The Co-workers
    The most favorable type of consultant is the co-worker, who performs routine tasks. Many companies, with their efforts to improve the efficiency of their services, have increasingly outsourced more and more work and bundled the remaining tasks with fewer and fewer employees. This concentration of work at the single workplace leaves the employee no air to breathe. The tasks, which are not yet automated or which can not be done with the computer, can no longer be managed internally. In order to maintain an ongoing operation and for keeping the desired service quality, it is necessary to deploy additional employees. The newly created liberation of the labor market allows the temporary employment of people, outside the implemented regulations for full-employment. At first sight, this saves costs, since the management of this workforce can be done with little effort and the liabilities are limited. However, the set-up times, the continuous flow of knowledge out of the company and the regulations to be taken into account (for example, no name plate, and no internal telephone number) burden the deployment. But the difficulty level and the risk of the deployment are low. Countless companies have specialized on employing such workers and to hire them to large companies. These co-workers are flexible and adaptive and form the lower price segment of consultancies.

Bottom line: The consulting industry has evolved into a broad-based business. The highly paid magicians cover the strategic areas. The makers are the practical realizers. The co-workers with their routine services form the majority of the consultants. In all cases, the consultants provide the necessary impulses to enable a company to develop further.