Bernhard von Mutius: Yes? No? Maybe? "Making Decisions Successfully"
The city hall was filled to capacity in the morning with over 500 entrepreneurs and politicians. The organizer of this significant event (the 22nd Fulda Business Day) for the regional economy is the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Fulda. Its president, Bernhard Juchheim, said: "Around 20,000 decisions are consciously or unconsciously made per day. Whether wise or unwise, right or wrong, often only becomes apparent afterwards. In fact, our decisions are influenced by various perceptions." The rigidity and inflexibility, according to Juchheim, "are what currently challenge our society and economy." "Self-centeredness and the fear of change paralyze employees and executives. They can lead to fears of loss," the IHK president is convinced. And he called for not being complacent. "Record employment, low unemployment, rising real wages, and increasing profits lead to a decrease in effort. That should not be the case." As an entrepreneur, one must make their company fit for the future during a phase of robust economy. "It is not written in stone that things will always remain as good as they are." There are enough topics: securing skilled labor, securing locations, promoting health in companies, and the digital revolution "Industry 4.0."
"The key to success lies in developing a strong work brand. The company must develop brand awareness not only in sales and procurement, but also in recruitment." Bernhard Juchheim praised the Fulda region "as an economically and performance-strong region with many good companies and a high quality of life."
Allowing learning processes through mistakes Speaker Dr. Bernhard von Mutius also sees great learning potential in mistakes. He does not want to talk directly about decision-making processes, but rather the philosopher and futurist is concerned with thinking about perspectives. "I don't want to make a future prediction. Anyone who promises or tries to do that is a charlatan," he said during his speech. Given his assumption that we are living in a transitional period from the old to a new world, we are facing a huge transformation that requires appropriate action. Bernhard von Mutius had brought three black boxes with hints instead of a PowerPoint presentation. Their content was meant to illustrate the necessary measures. A hamster wheel represented the routines to which people are often subjected in their (work) daily lives. "Actually, we don't like new things. Organizations also don't like new things," he explained. Nevertheless, it will be necessary in the future to break routines. Those stuck in a routine hamster wheel have no new ideas. It is also important to share one's knowledge. "Actually, all people are smart. Some are smart beforehand, others afterwards," said Bernhard von Mutius. Using a model of the human brain, he explained the complexity of the thinking apparatus. It does not have strict departments; rather, the areas work together in a networked manner. This is how von Mutius sees the company structures of the future. Strengthening people, alleviating their fears - this is seen by Bernhard von Mutius as another important task for the management levels. People seek and want leadership. The speaker cleverly used the image of a mountain guide. Those who empower others ultimately also become happier themselves, and only with helpful leadership can cooperation succeed. Finally, after all these steps, a high-performance team can only emerge if we give others what we would also like and treat every person as an individual. However, since this ideal cannot be fully realized, Bernhard von Mutius left the last box empty - decision-makers should also bring a bit of creativity themselves.
