The three biggest challenges for SMEs in 2023-2024

Wettbewerbsdruck

The German economy is in recession. And German SMEs are right in the middle of it. In addition to short-term economic causes for the slump, there are also longer-term structural reasons. SMEs are therefore facing growing challenges in the short and medium term that require consistent strategic action. The German Institute for SME Research (Institut … Read more

The importance of lived company values in difficult times

Company Values - Strategic Thinking

Values are highly popular among companies around the world. Almost every large enterprise has published a set of corporate values on their website and in glossy brochures. There is a good reason for this, because values can fulfil several important functions: they guide corporate decisions, shape company culture, influence employee behaviour and attract talent. Popular … Read more

The 3 major strategic challenges of the war in Ukraine for EU companies

Global economy - Impact of the war in Ukraine

The Russian war against Ukraine has added another global crisis. It hits the world at a time, when it is still struggling with the effects of the corona pandemic and bracing itself for the growing climate crisis. The Ukrainian people pay the highest price for the Russian aggression in terms of lost lives, injured and … Read more

5 economic trends that will influence your business in 2019

The year 2019 has started, and nobody exactly knows how the economy will develop over the coming 12 months. However, there are 5 trends already visible. They will have an impact on every business, no matter if you are self-employed or working for a large company. Even if you don’t think, these trends will have … Read more

5 Signs Indicating You Need Strategy Coaching

Many C-suite and mid-level executives have by now understood and experienced the benefits of business coaching. The range of topics for business coaching is very wide. It includes leadership development, stress management, coping with change, and handling conflicts, to name just a few. One particular branch of business coaching which still requires more explaining is … Read more

5 Common Strategic Planning Mistakes SMEs Should Avoid

The experts have been debating the use of strategic planning for some time. Already in the mid-1990s, Canadian management professor Henry Mintzberg questioned the use of a formal strategic planning process in his book “The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning”. And in view of fast, partly unforeseeable changes, there are good reasons to doubt … Read more

Listen to Your Intuition | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 6

After 12 games of the world chess championship between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin the score was 6-6, and a tiebreak became necessary to get a decision in the match. The tiebreak on Wednesday, 30 November, consisted of four rapid games with 25 minutes plus 10 seconds increment per move for each player. With such … Read more

Face Your Mistakes | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 5

Game 10 of the world chess championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin was a tragicomedy of errors. In a slightly better position, Carlsen gave up his advantage through an inaccurate exchange of bishops in move 19. After that, Karjakin missed two opportunities for immediately forcing a draw. In view of his one-point lead … Read more

Managing Risks with Circumspection | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 4

On Monday, 21 November, the world chess championship match between titleholder Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Sergey Karjakin saw the first decided game after seven draws. Game 8 took a dramatic course and ended in a win for Karjakin with the black pieces after 52 moves. The game perfectly illustrates the fourth success principle from … Read more

How to be Resilient | Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin, Part 2

The character of the world chess championship match between world champion Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Sergey Karjakin has changed: while they were testing each other’s (and the viewers’) patience in games 1 and 2, just waiting for the other side to make a mistake that never happened, the next two games were characterized by … Read more

Business Lessons from the World Chess Championship Match Carlsen – Karjakin | Part 1: The Importance of Patience

The Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen and his Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin started their fight for the chess crown in New York on 11 November 2016. Some commentators were disappointed by the first two games of the world chess championship: they both ended in a draw without any exciting things happening on the board. In … Read more

3 Core Principles of Strategic Leadership under Uncertainty

We live in uncertain times. Today, leadership may often feel like being the captain of a sailing ship in a heavy thunderstorm. While you are keeping the ship above water, you are struggling to keep your orientation, and you don’t know what will happen next. Just think back 12 months. In August 2015, we didn’t … Read more