Companies that don't constantly reinvent themselves go under - that's the general saying Opinions in management circles. However, organizations do not have to constantly reinvent themselves, but constantly adapt to become future-proof.

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Success through evolution

“It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one that is most likely to change,” said Charles Darwin. This applies not only to the animal kingdom, but also to organizations. From my 25 years of consulting practice, I know that evolutionary corporate development often leads to success more sustainably. For me, evolutionary corporate development means sustainability through adaptation.

It differs from revolutionary development in that companies retain what has been tried and tested and examine its future viability. It is about adjustment processes that do not simply discard the existing and proven in a disruptive and revolutionary way, but instead build on what already exists. The Art lies in not overturning the foundation, but using it as a basis for sustainable further development. In this respect, cultural change stands on the shoulders of previous ones Power.

"Evolution takes place Revolution“ is possible by constantly thinking about yourself, by reflecting on what has happened so far, with the Objective, by making necessary adjustments to ensure that Future can be won. The development of the corporate culture is a constant process. In addition to a clearly communicated mission statement, leadership principles and values ​​are the basis for growth and success of an evolutionary Company.

The certain difference: personality

As a rule, the management team in an evolutionary company consists of Personality of focused leaders with a high value orientation. During my accompaniment of complex change processes that go hand in hand with a cultural change, I found that evolutionary companies have a clear competitive advantage that pays off, especially in times of crisis. In an evolutionary company with personality, managers are not only allowed, but are also required to take ethical values ​​into account in their decisions in addition to economic considerations. The mindset of such decision-makers is characterized by the fact that, in addition to economic success, they also want and are able to create long-term values, while taking ethical principles into account.

They are aware of their social responsibility, take it actively and have one klare Attitude. They are concerned with more than just generating profits and being guided by quarterly figures. It is important that such leaders Expertise develop strategic foresight and are able to adopt different points of view, to reflect and to act accordingly. Their maxims for action include comprehensibility, designability and meaningfulness. They don't care about them change for her own sake. Rather, the decisive factor is the attempt to continuously improve through clever and far-sighted adjustment processes and thus remain or become fit for the future.

Change management: It is all about the right pace

But beware: A change that is too disruptive can have just as negative consequences as a change that is too slow or does not occur at all. If changes are too abrupt, too revolutionary, too prescribed, they are for the Employees often incomprehensible and they rightly ask themselves where the journey should actually go. But what happens if the team is not aware of the scope of the changes and their consequences? When words are not followed by actions? When companies just pour icing over structures that have long been outdated and ailing, in order to keep themselves in the old Style to celebrate? Then there is frustration, bewilderment or a kind of cynicism among both employees and managers that leaves deep wounds in people.

First of all, however, the development into an evolutionary company successfully In addition to being aware of constant changes, setting it in motion also requires an awareness of evolutionary principles and stumbling blocks that lie on the way.

Principles of success for evolutionary development

A maxim of entrepreneurial action in evolutionary companies is to put people at the center. This includes employees, partners, customers and also suppliers. The top corporate goal: customer satisfaction – clearly defined and measurable. It is also crucial that company leaders become aware that designability, comprehensibility and meaningfulness are the three basic principles for potential development. Furthermore, it is often better employees and Executives encourage them to develop their strengths instead of sending them to seminars where they try to eliminate their weaknesses.

Essential principles have emerged which make a company a future-oriented company and which, when taken into account, drive an evolutionary development. This includes the principle of lifelong learning. This always affects the whole person, it is not just about the professional competence, but also about the methodological, social, emotional and communication skills of a person. Lifelong personality development and development are important pillars on the way to an evolutionary company in which all areas, departments and teams want to and can continuously learn.

In small steps to evolutionary changes

Another principle with which evolutionary development succeeds is that of trying out. An intelligent error culture or better learning culture is a prerequisite for this principle. It is important that a mistake or a failure does not result in a resigned giving up, but as Motivation taken to try again. On top there is the principle of asking. What is meant here is not just the competence to listen actively, constructively Feedback giving and mastering classic questioning techniques, but dealing with evolutionary ones Ask to advance the Status quo again and again, knowing full well that the next development step has to be taken.

Because whoever wants to evolve does not stop asking questions. People and companies that have stopped asking questions are “dead”. In addition to the principle of asking, the guiding principle of the evolutionary "baby steps" is helpful. The motto behind it: in small steps for big change. This guarantees that you can actually start and stay focused. The trick is to simply take the first or next step.

Avoid shock and panic in crisis situations

There are pitfalls that reliably cause the evolutionary process to fail. Not every company manages to become an evolutionary one Organization to develop. After all, there are numerous obstacles blockages, sources of error and interference and also stumbling blocks along the way. The reasons for failure are just as diverse and individual as the companies themselves. However, through my support of organizations in change and transformation processes, I know that certain mistakes are noticeably frequent. Those who know these sources of possible failure can do so in good time prevention meet in order not to belong to the dying out companies afterwards.

In general, a state of shock or panic, as we often experience in crisis situations, is by no means expedient. One of the greatest dangers for failure is the Anxiety from failure itself. Like the rabbit in front of the snake, companies fall into shock because those responsible deal too intensively with the scenarios of failure. In principle, people only want to act and dare to take the next step towards an evolutionary company when a Planning with a hundred percent probability of success. This is a contradiction in terms, because there is no such thing as a XNUMX% guarantee of success.

Resilience - Design strategies for dealing with unexpected developments

It is better, Strategies to design for dealing with unexpected developments and also to consider and plan for the "actually" impossible. At least as far as we are able to. Of course, things can always turn out very differently than planned. Ultimately, however, it is important that those responsible and decision-makers learn to deal with the fact that they do not know anything - at least never XNUMX%. Developing tolerance for ambiguity makes it easier to deal with difficult situations. What is meant by this is to acknowledge and endure ambiguity and uncertainty. With a pronounced tolerance for ambiguity, it is possible to cope with irritations in a productive way.

Another hurdle is sticking to traditional recipes for success. Maintaining the tried and tested is a positive value in evolutionary companies that strive for adaptation processes. However, it is of little use if nobody dares to question things, "slaughter a holy cow" or cut off "old braids". Sometimes it is important to separate yourself from previous principles and habits that have been successful in the past but have now survived.

Employees - the pillars of the evolutionary corporate culture

But what criteria help managers to choose those employees who support and support the evolutionary corporate culture? Clearly what counts is a person's personality, their talents, ambitions and passion for the task and the company. It is always important for me to feel whether someone is passionate about something or just wants to have a job.

After all, personal qualities are ultimately more important than a certificate from a renowned company University. And I am convinced that companies that reflect on their personality and their strengths and at the same time remain open to new things can look to the future with confidence.