On Friday, November, 12th, there was an interesting comment with the same title in the business sector on page 19, upper left corner. The comment was a thorough and doubtless also fair report on the “new strategy” of Siemens AG under Peter Löscher.
On the whole, the Siemens leaders under Peter Löscher did a good job during the last three years. They generated new confidence, management and organization were reformed and promising trends were acted upon. It is assumed that a concentration on environmental, energy and health issues will promise fair results.
Allegedly, that is also why Siemens suffered so little in the general crisis. And, accordingly, they now have high expectations: Siemens is supposed to grow more than any of its competitors every year and the profits are also supposed to increase significantly.
At the same time, however, there was a warning that the real endurance test still lies ahead. After all, there is still a possibility that the economic cycle and structural changes of the world economy make for hard years.
So much on the considerably longer comment.
I see it almost in the same way.
But: the challenges of the future – especially also for big enterprises like Siemens – will be totally different from those of the past. And it is quite possible that values other than size, world market leadership, fast growth and high profits will be the selective criteria for a successful enterprise in the future.
It is also quite possible that de-centralized, regional and sustainable business practices, simple and flexible structures and organizations, diversity instead of concentration, stability and modesty will be among the qualities required in the future. And that the survival of an enterprise depends on its company culture, the sense of proportion and ethical behaviour of the responsible leaders. And that the dogmata of an antiquated economical practice must be replaced by free and courageous decisions following common sense.
To be sure, I do not know if any of this will come true. But I am sure our entire society, along with the enterprises – and perhaps the big ones more than the small ones – will face an endurance test in the foreseeable future.
To be perfectly honest: I also look forward to it a little. Because we certainly cannot go on like this, no matter if we are talking small or big.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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