Bad Times?

Historically and in cycles economics turn tough, and even the best-managed, the best-positioned businesses have difficulties. Except the few industries that flourish in a downturn (think bankruptcy attorneys). If you are in an industry that is badly affected by the downturn, you might be fighting for economic survival. What to do when bad things happen to good businesses?

There are business owners they do nothing, others hope or pray that things will get better. Some become more aggressive marketers, trying to increase market share. Others cut expenses to the bone, figuring they will be able to stay and still be around when conditions improve.
What is the best strategy?

Each business is different, and there is no hard and fast rule, since every business is different, even in the same industry, there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. However there is a process to help identify the best strategy for each business. As we do not know the real future it’s best to prepare for a range of possibilities. And the first step is to assess the real situation honestly, face the facts. Ask yourself the question: What will happen to my company in three, six and twelve months, if:
1, you continue as you have the last six months?
2, the business would get worse than the last six months?
3, the business would get better than the last six months?
Create scenarios for sales-, production-… decrease, -increase… 5%, 20%…
This gives you a series of outcomes for a wide range of different scenarios.

With the outcome of this, determine what your best reaction can be for each scenario.
Then think proactively.
Monitor the changing incoming data constantly, and
if one scenario seems to be playing out, your strategy is
ready to be implemented
and, of course, monitored closely.

Well-managed businesses
prepare for contingencies and
implement based on planning — and proactively — when times are good or bad.

Change

Change
When to use change management?

Change is an organizational reality for every modern manager.
The needs and desires of customers, employees and shareholders are changing. Whenever there is a change in need there grows a new demand. And therefore we have to break with traditions and the good old way of how things are done. Products which were the “Hit” yesterday are outperformed or not “In” tomorrow. What was “tried and true” yesterday may hold you back in future. Competitors may pick up and pass you if you do not adapt and reorganize, create and develop.

In today’s world we use change management
External forces:
• when you need to break with tradition,
• in order to stay on Top,
• when you fight the battle for customers,
• when technology is changing,
• when the labor market is forcing you to change, (fluctuation, crises…)
• when the economic changes, of course;
• when recessionary pressure forces an organization to be more cost efficient.
• When Interest rates are changing
• …
you have to adopt and change

Internal forces
• when you want to break with tradition,
• When you redefine or modify your strategy
• If you have to introduce a turnaround strategy to survive
• Change in productions
• Change Locations
• Product Quality Control
• Modernizing your factory, machinery
• Processes
• When the composition of your workforce changes in terms of age, gender, education …
• You may have to restructure work descriptions and jobs
• When you introduce new equipment,
• Trainings and
• redesign of the job has to be considered
• Labor strikes
• Employees attitudes
• Resignation, illness or death of employees and managers
• …

A Change Agent is a manager who acts as a catalyst, cheerleader, alchemist and transformer whose expertise is in change implementation. Owners and Internal Managers often hire outside consultants or Change Agents to advice and assist or even implement major system-wide changes. The advantages of outsiders are,
They provide clearly an objective perspective that insiders usually lack,
are not involved in politics and career expectations.

The outsider, provided with quality information like
organizational history
and culture,
operating procedures and
people
can help
developing new strategies and
implementing them.

The relatively new term Interim Manager is generally used for a Change Agent who is not only suggesting strategic changes like a consultant, but also offers his services to implement these strategies and changes and stays with the company as a member of the advisory board and therefore lives with the consequences of the implementation and decisions made.

Organizations in today’s world are facing a situation much like a river raft with uninterrupted white-water rapids. Aboard six people who’ve never worked together before, unfamiliar with the river, unsure about the destination, in pitch dark night. Many managers will face constant change and are forced to play the game they have never played before and the game is often played on rules that are created as the game continues.

For dealing with unpredictable situations; proven change management strategies and change agents are needed who understand their jobs very well. Change Agents, who are specialized on implementing change, are walking together with people in an organization while change happens.

Few organizations can treat change as an occasional situation. In today’s world, change has become absolute. Too much is changing in any organization to stays the same. Those that do, run a great risk. Competitive advantages are lasting statistically 18 month – that’s it.

The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” no longer applies. It is replaced with “if it ain’t broke, you just haven’t looked hard enough. Fix it anyway!”

Don’t wait that the world will move you – move the world.
Create change and be an initiator of change in order to get the edge and the competitive advantage.
Be the hammer not the ambos.

Regards,
A.Vetr

What is Interim Management?

Interim Management is a service that enables you to:

1. hire a executive manager
2. with experience and special expertise
3. to work within your organization
4. for a limited time period.

Was ist Interim Management?

Globalisierung und neue Märkte, schneller Technologiewandel und kurze Planungshorizonte geben das Tempo vor. Um hier schnell und professionell reagieren zu können, brauchen Unternehmen Flexibilität, Know-how und zusätzliche Ressourcen – dies alles bietet Interim Management.

Interim Manager, flexibel einsetzbare Führungskräfte, werden kurzfristig zur Überbrückung von Vakanzen, in Krisenzeiten, zur Projektsteuerung oder als Spezialisten eingesetzt. Sie fangen Management-Engpässe auf, bringen ein Plus an Unabhängigkeit und verschaffen Unternehmen damit einen Wettbewerbsvorteil.

Ein Interim Manager arbeitet typischerweise unter folgenden Rahmenbedingungen:
• Engpass quantitativer oder qualitativer Art
• Zeitlich befristeter Einsatz
• Übernahme einer Position in der ersten oder zweiten Führungsebene mit Weisungsbefugnis
• Übernahme einer Gesamt- oder Teilprojektleitung
• Coaching von Führungskräften
• Rapportiert an den Verwaltungsrat oder an die Geschäftsleitung

Auftraggeber schätzen am Interim Management vor allem die kurzfristige Verfügbarkeit externer Führungskräfte, den effizienten und schnellen Besetzungsprozess und die zeitnahe Umsetzung anstehender Projekte.

Besonders gefragt sind Interim Manager
• beim Fitmachen von Unternehmen oder Unternehmensteilen
• bei der Erschließung neuer Märkte
• bei Turnarounds und Sanierungen
• zur Steuerung und Umsetzung komplexer Projekte.
• beim Überbrücken von Vakanzen

Darüber hinaus beschaffen sich Auftraggeber über Interim Manager auch gezieltes Fachwissen.

When to use Interim Management?

Interim Management is most relevant when you have a short-term need for a particular type of expertise. Examples might include:

• a period of change or transition
• opening up a new market
• acquiring a new subsidiary company
• managing a one-off project
• filling a gap between a manager’s departure and recruiting a replacement