Disruption: When transformational and evolutionary pressures collide

Professional enterprise engineering is particularly essential at present. In addition to classic drivers, such as business growth, market expansion, system renewal, modernisation and rationalisation, we are also experiencing the impact of external factors, such as climate and demographic changes as well as digitalisation, pandemics and, most recently, the consequences of the war in Europe.

More and more often we find ourselves confronted with the following (or similar) situation:

Yesterday’s start-up has successfully established itself on the market and now faces the challenge of expanding significantly or perhaps even scaling up. This young company must therefore successfully implement series production. The introduction of professional structures in the areas of organisation, management and leadership is an essential ingredient for success. [Evolution]

The founders or management team must progress from the early days of self-employment to entrepreneurship. What can be done if the management team, which has been heavily involved in the company itself, needs to do more work ‘on’ the company in the future, but still needs practical training in order to do so? [Evolution]

The numerous current global disruptions in the form of demographics, climate, pandemics and war have put entrepreneurs and managers in every sector under high pressure to enact change. [Transformation]

Taken in isolation, perhaps none of the factors listed above is anything unusual. However, the combination of all these factors during one development period is, in our view, an extraordinary constellation. [Disruption]

Successful work ‘on’ the business must be learned and practised. Not every entrepreneur takes this task as much to heart or has as much native talent for this as they do their business-related activities or creativity, innovative ability, and enthusiasm. It is not uncommon for management to be dominated by work ‘in’ the business, on the product or on the customer.

Professional enterprise engineering is particularly essential at present. In addition to classic drivers, such as business growth, market expansion, system renewal, modernisation and rationalisation, we are also experiencing the impact of external factors, such as climate and demographic changes as well as digitalisation, pandemics and, most recently, the consequences of the war in Europe.

These disruptions have, at least in some part, put companies under pressure to enact changes within the organisation. Especially in medium-sized or young companies, this situation will require significant intensification of the work done ‘on’ the company. In some cases, there is a lack of sufficiently experienced staff and/or available capacities at C-level for this. In some unfavourable constellations, this challenge is compounded by company management that is young or less experienced in enterprise.

As is often the case in life, in this situation, the success of a company’s growth depends first and foremost on the willingness and ability of those with overall responsibility to change. From our own long years of experience in a wide variety of corporate settings, we know that two key elements determine how and in which way a company deals with change or ongoing development. These are the knowledge and awareness of the current and foreseeable situation. This may sound banal, but in practicality, it is, unfortunately, far too often a major shortcoming. What is required are simple things that are sometimes very difficult to implement under high performance pressure, such as taking your time and consciously raising your head, widening your gaze and looking beyond the edge of the mountain of workload that can seem almost unsurmountable.

There are many different forms of support and tools for meeting these challenges. Regardless of whether the chosen approach includes independent study, in-house training, the development of additional staff with relevant know-how, support from external experts or a combination of these, successful work ‘on’ the company isn’t something that can be fit in after work, at the weekend or just as time permits. From our point of view, the cards are generally stacked against anyone who cannot acknowledge this and act accordingly.