Business Insights / Conference
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The times of democracies and dictatorships
Even if it is not a question of adding fear to anxiety, the global geopolitical situation is worrying to say the least: what seemed to be taken for granted in a democracy is being called into question by the inconsistency, contempt, arrogance, and a form of madness of certain leaders.
While most people aspire to tranquillity and a decent life, a few narcissistic perverts decide otherwise. Why, in the end, is it so easy for these warmongers to carry out their plans? Time takes so long!
Whereas true democracies are, by definition, constantly adapting, changing, questioning, and holding open elections, dictatorships weave their web over years or even decades. In a nutshell, then, democracies are short-sighted, while dictatorships are long-sighted…
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Let’s start 2024 with enthusiasm …
After the “Trêve des Confiseurs”, which is unfortunately increasingly theoretical in a particularly troubled world, we sincerely hope that the start of the new year is as auspicious as possible for everyone.
It’s also said that the start of a new year is a time for wishing and often making good resolutions. To do so, we need to look beyond the usual verbiage of 2024 with enthusiasm and conviction.
The ambient pressure and challenges are always present - it’s not a calendar change that’s going to revolutionize the world for better or worse - but we need to have the courage, the desire, and the will to put positive things in place and, why not, try out new approaches.
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Merry Christmas – Happy New Year…
After the many posts and short articles placed on this site during the year, it’s time to look back and project us, a little, into the future…
We’ve tried to shed light, often in contrasting ways, on workspaces, the way we work, and facility management in general, from different angles in terms of management, generational challenges, technology and so on.
Have we achieved our objectives? It would seem so, thanks to you - hundreds of readers on LinkedIn, a teasing platform for our “spaceonmove.swiss” website, with its full articles.
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Tactics before knowledge…
All too often, most large companies focus on individual technical knowledge and skills, whereas in most cases, it’s tactical skills, group management and a holistic approach that really make the difference. Why is this?
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Mood note : office etiquette
Ah, you say, another one of those old fogies who doesn’t understand that the professional world has changed! Well, yes, I like to think of myself as an old fuddy-duddy, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering about a certain loss of civility…
You certainly know colleagues who are in the office, certainly to work, but who don’t care about the environment in which they work if it doesn’t directly concern them.
You can certainly see who I mean: David, who turns away from the coffee machine as soon as he sees that the water tank is empty; Marcel, who uses the latest toilet paper, but doesn’t have the sense to put a new roll in the holder when there are at least 3 in the reserve; Marie, who treats the washbasin like a swimming pool; Julie, who gets into the lift that you also want to take, but presses the button to close the door, smiling at you stupidly; and Robert, who jams the printer but ‘forgets’ to fix it or report the fault, leaving on the sly. Has this ever happened to you? Come on, come on…
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The empty chair principle…
I might as well say at the outset that we are not fans of the “empty chair”, whatever the circumstances or risks.
During the various dossiers, mandates, and projects in which we have been involved, it has been very unpleasant to note that this practice - which is somewhat debatable - has become commonplace or has been practised by certain individuals or groups of individuals.
After some thought and observation, we found that the people practising this “empty chair” approach were rarely doing so because of a lack of time or diary conflicts, but much more often because of tactics, politics, or even - and this is more serious - incompetence. Let’s look at the reasons one by one.
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Professional life is a marathon, not a sprint
Working life has changed dramatically over the last few decades, and while long careers with the same company may be the exception rather than the rule, it is still a marathon.
Over and above the requirements of employees, which vary greatly with their age - the impetuousness of youth is giving way to a desired form of stability - it is important to think in terms of the medium and long term. In this respect, there is often confusion between thinking in the long term and acting according to this same model.
Today, it is becoming difficult to project oneself into a medium- or long-term perspective, given the fast pace at which the environment, constraints, requirements, and possibilities are changing. This in no way prevents individuals from having a vision of what they want to do or achieve.
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The rush of thought.
The media frenzy and the unkind comments surrounding the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS on Sunday 19 March 2023 call for a reaction.
First, let’s note the spontaneous emergence of numerous economic and banking specialists, each with their own interpretation and judgement, whereas most people know little or nothing about this.
Comparing the situation in 2008 with that of today is a mistake because a lot has been done in the field of governance and controls for almost 15 years. Furthermore, it is forgetting that the trigger for the latest turmoil around Credit Suisse was the failure of a regional bank in the US and the loss of investor confidence in the banking system in general. Perhaps the solutions envisaged were not the right ones at the time: one is always more intelligent afterwards… Credit Suisse’s risk-taking with its investment bank was too great, which had unfortunately been apparent for several years. It paid a high price on 19 March. It is now easy to blame UBS, FINMA, the SNB and the Federal Council, even though their room for manoeuvre and the time available were limited.
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The means of its policy
The formula is well known, but the fact is that many companies are not prepared to put in the necessary means and resources to achieve certain objectives.
Most bosses will rightly say that they should focus on 2-3 main objectives and invest in them. This formula is naturally appealing, but it is a little too quick to forget that other aspects of the company must also be given special attention.
It is hard to say which areas should be given priority, as each company has its own objectives, opportunities, challenges, and possibilities. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to point out that most business plans focus on the core business, leaving the non-core activities to one side, or even putting great pressure on their costs and resources.
Is this always the right calculation? We doubt it…
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The world of work and communication…
In a hyper-connected and hyper-mediatised world in which every image, every act, every gesture is analysed, commented on, and criticised, it is interesting, even frightening, to note how little quality of communication in the world of work is valued or taught at management level.
How many castings errors, frustrations and failures are reported every day by employees or managers at intermediate levels because of communication errors worthy of a beginner in the field of human resources?
Let’s be a little provocative and say that the world of work is becoming bipolar: on the one hand, it preaches integration, inclusion, and partnership, and on the other, it forgets the most basic communication codes.
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Ego and counter-power don’t mix…
It has been known for a long time that (over)developed egos do not mix well with contestation. This also applies in the professional world, of course.
Running a company requires a whole series of quite exceptional abilities, of which enthusiasm and even fervour is part. But beyond the necessary passion for these activities, the exercise of power often leads to a disproportionate development of the ego in some leaders.
Is the leader in question solely responsible for these ‘slip-ups’? On closer inspection, the answer is of course no. Indeed, circumstances, governance and, above all, the direct environment contribute to reinforcing an already pre-existing tendency to egocentricity
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Funnels and corridor widths…
The title is deliberately appealing, but it hides two subjects that seem to be increasingly recurrent and even divisive in the professional world: the narrowing of minds and skills. There was a time when the margin of tolerance in business was very - too - wide and a form of generalized laxity existed in the professional landscape. Oral rules were rife, the application of principles was somewhat haphazard, while trust and a ‘clannish’ spirit were the rule. It is not a question of denigrating those times or wanting to go back in time, but rather of knowing how these practices have evolved. Is it for the better or for the worse? Both, in fact…
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Change of model
The world of work is undergoing a gentle revolution, but a revolution, nonetheless.
The advent of the hybrid model (face-to-face and remote), the fact that many employees want to reduce their working hours or change direction after the pandemic, and the fact that the younger generation wants to give much more meaning to its activities by putting salary in 4th or 5th place of the requirements for example, show that companies must reinvent themselves quickly.
Are they able to meet all these demands and do they really want to?
The power of innovation, adaptation and anticipation is often the DNA of successful companies, and it often doesn’t take much money: the key is management’s ability to develop pragmatic solutions in an employee-friendly environment.
Make no mistake, it takes more than that to get the right chemistry, but it is a fact that most companies do not have the right governance and/or do not allow employees and their managers to act with speed and common sense.
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“Never complain, never explain”: really?
“Never complain, never explain”: the formula is famous, but is it really adapted to the business world, that is the question…
If Queen Victoria’s advice to the future King Edward VII in 1851 is well known, it is not certain that the current business world still allows for a strict and concrete application.
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The relativity of the world or the positive refocusing
The relativity of the world or the positive refocusing