Elements of Enterneering®/Implementation/What matters
To excel and succeed at Enterneering®, it takes more than reading a book or attending training. Successful Enterneering® is deeply connected to a specific mindset. It is about the awareness of interconnections and interdependencies. It is important to concentrate on the aspects of entrepreneurship that go beyond individual products, customers or markets. Good personal conditions exist when the perspective of Enterneering® is not viewed as an accumulation of additional tasks and challenges that constantly compete with other business-related issues for attention and time. To prepare oneself, one is likely to find the explanations in the Enterneering® book and app very useful. They help align the horizon of consideration and to better understand the nature of the tasks involved in implementing Enterneering®.
Also, as part of the preparation, it is crucial to understand the difference between working on and working in the company.
Many entrepreneurs tend to work more in their company than on it. A significant amount of their time is taken up by mundane tasks that should actually be delegated to someone else. As a result, they have little time for the sustainable development of the enterprise.
To get a better idea of the difference between working in and working 'on' your company, here are some examples.
| WORKING IN THE COMPANY |
| ➡ Customer & sales meetings |
| ➡ Coordination of sales projects |
| ➡ Payments, accounting |
| ➡ Operational problem-solving |
| ➡ Coordination of employees |
| ➡ Team meetings, discussions |
| WORKING ON THE COMPANY |
| ➡ Mission, vision, strategy |
| ➡ Target definition, roadmap |
| ➡ Capacity for change |
| ➡ Digital transformation |
| ➡ Coaching, mentoring, sparring |
| ➡ Personnel management, motivation |
| Who is actually running your company while you are focussed on the tasks others should be handling? |
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EFFECTIVE WORK ON THE COMPANY
Anyone turning to the implementation of Enterneering® begins with targeted and conscious work on their company. The following topics play an important role in this context.
EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
Delegation is a difficult but important activity essential for the development of a company. Successful delegation needs to be learned and trained. Especially for young entrepreneurs or founders, it is often not easy to let go – not be the best technician in the house. It is about being an entrepreneur – an entrepreneur who handles everything alone and works long hours, cannot take a break or a holiday, and, above all, cannot have time to work on the business. The sooner they learn to be an effective leader, the sooner they will have sustainable success. There are countless qualification programs on the topic of 'delegating correctly', and external coaches or trainers can help.
PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Entrepreneurs should understand that a key success factor is to assign the best people to specific tasks and empower them in the best possible way so that they can do an effective and efficient job. Another factor is to give the staff a clear picture of the purpose and goal of the company. Entrepreneurs should ensure that the people in their company identify themselves with the company's strategy. They should encourage the continuous training of employees and assign them according to their talents. Successful people management is more important today than ever before and has evolved significantly in recent times. Entrepreneurs should definitely look for qualified and experienced individuals for the people management function.
STRATEGY WITH PLAN AND KPI
The basic tools of a well-managed company include the classic elements of mission, vision and strategy. But be careful, authenticity and professionalism are more important than textbook phrases or presentations made by consultants. In addition, there is the need for appropriate operationalisation of the corporate strategy so that the strategic goals and results can be translated into real action measures and measurable success variables. It is important to measure the progress and success of the strategic planning through suitable key performance indicators (KPIs).
TIME TO THINK, LEARN AND IMPROVE
Entrepreneurs should demand and promote awareness of the importance of dedicating time to learning and improvement. They should use the concept of 'sharpening the axe' to make it clear to themselves and the staff that such times are part of the official working time and have at least the same value as attending to customer orders. Entrepreneurs should specifically define and stimulate the search for improvements, such as ways to increase their competitive position, reduce technical debt or cost drivers and eliminate the causes of errors.
STOP FIREFIGHTING & MICROMANAGEMENT
Effective entrepreneurs discipline themselves in how they address problem situations or misunderstandings in the organisation or in individual projects. Instead of intervening directly, they encourage professional and transparent handling by the individuals directly responsible and ensure their leadership. They offer their support as a sparring partner or advisor and allow operational responsibility to remain where the problem is.
LEADERSHIP & CULTURE
Entrepreneurs who do a good job on the points mentioned just now and set a good, authentic example automatically create a positive corporate culture. In such cultures, operational management is quickly replaced by holistic leadership. A leader's job is not to perform tasks on behalf of others but to help others figure out how to accomplish those tasks themselves, get things done and surpass their own expectations of success. Leadership is all about people and culture.
CORPORATE ORGANISATION
To ensure the successful evolution of the organisation in the most proactive way possible, organisational development needs to be appropriately integrated into strategic management. This is done by not only identifying and implementing the need to adapt the organisation as a follow-up to the above measures but also by doing this as an integral part during strategic planning.
It is important to understand that preparation for the implementation of Enterneering® does not involve having already implemented the above points as effectively as possible. The preparation is about recognising and internalising the difference in possible approaches and the importance of one's own perspective on individual issues and activities. Successful Enterneering® stands and falls with the personal attitude, expectations and mindset of the individuals at the top of the organisation.
☝ Read the Field Trip 'Effective Delegation is Key' linked below.