Discover Germany | Special Theme | Swiss Architects and Interior Designers 2021
NEW LEADERSHIP THROUGH NETWORK THINKING Network competence is key for solving the ever more globalised and unpredictable challenges of the future.
about restrictions, it also demonstrates the usefulness of networks.”
TEXT: SILKE HENKELE I PHOTOS: STEFANIE SELKE
UNDERSTANDING AND IDENTIFYING META LEVELS
The pandemic has shown that companies are increasingly faced with issues that neither a company nor even a country can solve on its own. Stefanie Selke, founder of Berlin-based organisational consultant SLOG, interprets this situation as follows: “Corona was and still is a challenge. The pandemic, however, has also shown how global challenges and issues can be solved, namely by network thinking and acting. And this doesn’t mean personal networking through LinkedIn or Xing. In companies, which for a long time had delayed digitising their processes, all employees all of a sudden started to work remotely; man80 | Issue 88 | December 2021
agers, too, suddenly had to lead their teams from home. The worldwide shortage of supplies had to be dealt with. And as no-one had solutions to these problems up their sleeves already, companies, managers and employees turned to others to understand how they faced these challenges. Team members listened attentively when, in a meeting, a colleague revealed how his wife’s company dealt with similar problems. Companies looked for external impulses. At the same time, everyone was much more willing to share solutions with others, which resulted in self-organising communication networks where solutions were shared that helped companies to tackle their problems. So, while the pandemic brings
Stefanie Selke continues: “Only a small part of the insights gained through Corona is related to factual topics such as digitisation or the percentage of remote vs. on-site workplaces. The most important lesson becomes obvious if we see the pandemic as an example that shows us how thinking and acting in networks enables companies to globally access solutions and knowledge. This enables managers to analyse and adapt communication processes on a meta level and to pass these competencies on to their employees.” Solution-orientated thinking is much more than understanding or identifying a problem. So, if a company is to remain prepared for future chal-
