Virtual Leadership

VUCA-World & agile leadership, psychology & project management, leading employees, team spirit & motivation in flexible organisations, change processes without fear

Simone Janson, Simone Janson, Simone Janson

• Publisher: Best of HR – Berufebilder.de®
• Year: 2024
• ISBN:
  9783965962057
• Edition: 4
• Topic: Economics
• Subtopic: Economic Theory
• Index: Economics

In the 4th, completely revised edition of this groundbreaking guide, published by an award-winning publisher, renowned experts (overview in the book preview) combine their knowledge with interactive AI. This unique combination of decades of experience and state-of-the-art technology enables you to master challenges on a whole new level. Thanks to the innovative transfer of information, complemented by personal experiences of success, you can realize your goals and reach your full potential. Because leading companies and employees today means above all to make decisions quickly and flexibly and to be able to react to unforeseen events. How quickly a situation can change radically from one day to the next in a global economy is shown not least by the Corona crisis, which made a total restructuring of all work processes urgently necessary. This book shows which steps are necessary for virtual, reorganized leadership. For its concept "Information as Desired, " the publisher won the Global Business Award as Publisher of the Year and received government funding. It is also a partner of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany. The goal to give you the best possible content on topics such as career, finance, management, recruiting, or psychology goes far beyond the static nature of traditional books: The interactive AI Extended Books not only provide AI-optimized content in several languages based on data analysis but also allow you to ask individual questions and receive advice tailored to your personal interests. Each book contains detailed information and examples for your successful use of AI. You can utilize AI software for free, download e-courses, collaborate with workbooks, or engage with an active community. So you gain valuable resources that enhance your knowledge, stimulate creativity, and make your personal and professional goals achievable and tangible. Expertise and technical innovation go hand in hand, as we take the responsibility to deliver well-researched and informed content seriously, honoring the trust you place in us. Due to the unique combination of human expertise and innovation, we can publish works that meet your requirements in every aspect. And furthermore, we want to offer you the opportunity to make your journey towards personal growth and success even more unforgettable. We understand that true change occurs not just in the mind but primarily through personal experiences and application. Therefore, we've conceptualized special success journey experiences tailored to each book for you. Be inspired to elevate your life to an entirely new level. By purchasing the books, you can also do good: The publisher dedicates about 5 percent of book sales revenue to socially relevant or sustainable projects. We provide scholarships, support innovative ideas, and contribute to climate protection initiatives. Publisher Simone Janson is also a bestselling author and one of the top 10 influential German bloggers according to the Blogger Relevance Index. Additionally, she has been a columnist and author for renowned media outlets such as WELT, Wirtschaftswoche, or ZEIT - more about her can be found, among other places, on Wikipedia.

Motivation and Efficiency in the Team: Networking and Swarm Intelligence
// By Simone Janson

Motivation usually works like this: The boss spurs employees on their way to performance or colleagues build each other up again and again. But there is another way.

Motivation through your private environment

Again and again there is a new situation in everyday professional life that brings with it a lot of change and also uncertainty. If your professional life is already changing, there should be at least other stabilizing components in your life:

For example your social environment, family, friends and acquaintances. These should comfort you in difficult situations, motivate you emotionally and give you the feeling that you are not alone. Here you should also whine and be able to unload your first frustration at the failure of a matter.

Beware of demotivation

You can only get external motivation from friends, family and acquaintances, other people who are in a similar situation to yourself, customers, colleagues and clients, or - more rarely - from your own employees.

But not all people in your private environment may be positive about your ideas. There are the anxious parents or husband and children who want more time. Nevertheless, these people like you and are probably behind you in an emergency. So overlook the little mistakes your loved ones make.

IYour private environment usually has little idea of ​​your work. Even if you keep explaining what you are up to, even close family members cannot always understand that. Don't overwhelm your social environment by expecting others to understand exactly what you think and always support you. That's impossible!

networks

Targeted networking is often only seen in connection with customer acquisition and career advancement. It is often forgotten that networks are not primarily there to benefit, but to help each other - for example with advice and action, information and motivation. If you consider networks as exchange platforms, new orders will appear automatically.

Your social environment gives you emotional support. You should therefore leave most of your feelings in your private life. But you can usually discuss job-specific problems and specialist topics much better with people who are also familiar with your job, because only they can usually give factual advice. For example, this could be colleagues from the same industry. Of course everyone knows somebody somehow, maybe you have a lot of people in a similar situation in your circle of acquaintances anyway.

Targeted professional networking

But especially if you work largely alone, e.g. because you are in the home office, it is important that you do not rely on a few contacts, but build a network of different opinions and skills that you can refer to if necessary. This does not mean that you only note in your address book who you might ask in an emergency. Networking does not mean having any, but as many contacts as possible, even if this is sometimes helpful. Many situations require only a few, but absolutely suitable contacts - and establishing, shaping and maintaining them requires a high level of personal commitment. Because only if you know what information or help you can get from whom, networking will help you.

Do not confuse professional contacts with friendships. Networks serve an objective exchange. Of course, you also show feelings. But network partners can also be competitors. Of course, you won't get very far with excessive distrust, but unconditional trust is also not appropriate. Networking should be a give and take.

Network like a fisherman

A metaphor illustrates the networking principle: the networker throws out his networks like a fisherman. By chance or diligence, he catches large and small fish, which is profitable, but some fish also escape him when the net travels. Therefore, he has to carefully weave and renew it again and again. Networking is therefore the methodical and systematic establishment of useful contacts that help chance to jump start to meet the right people

A network with people who you actually don't like and who you just want to be nice with, to take advantage of at some point, can hardly hold out in the long run. Look for specific contact with the people with whom the personal sympathy factor is right.

Dexterity required

Networks require instinct: if you are not turning to good friends, you first have to gain trust. The lower your own expectations, the better, because: As a rule, people look forward to genuine interest in you. So if you meet others openly and honestly without too many ulterior motives, you build trust. A shared interest in a particular topic can also create trust.

However, trust is quickly lost if you let it too quickly become clear that you are only interested because you expect something from the other. If you then cannot offer the corresponding countervalue, you subconsciously leave the impression of being exploited - and the contact leaves. Therefore, do not (only) start from the consideration: “What do I need”, but also from the question: “Who can I do something for?”. Giving and taking should, however, keep the balance. Networking often also works indirectly through very intricate paths through third parties.

Example: Mr. B. goes to a lawyer on the recommendation of a legal assistant. The assistant then receives a bonus from the lawyer, her boss. As a thank you, her husband, a teacher, gives tutoring to Mr. B.'s daughter.

How to proceed with networking:

Overcome the fear of speaking directly to other, largely foreign people. Of course, it takes a little effort. But make it clear: nobody can say more than “No” and you can only win yourself!

• Write down important things about new and old acquaintances, for example on the back of business cards, in the notebook function of your palm or in a separate file on the computer. Write down simple things like addresses, birthdays or hobbies and personal preferences. But it is also important to have common topics of conversation, projects and activities or the gifts you have given yourself. Also note the contacts of the acquaintance - those that you know yourself and those that are still unknown.
• Maintain contacts: There are no limits to your creativity, the possibilities range from simple birthday wishes to regular group activities. It is crucial, however, that you have patience, because a network can exist for several years before success can be seen, and this is often unplanned. If you need help in any form, you can use these contacts.
• The following principle applies: everyone knows everyone around six corners. So if you don't know anyone with the skills you need right now, ask someone who might know someone like that. Example: You need a lawyer with knowledge of patent law. However, her daughter has a friend whose mother is a legal assistant. You could ask your boss to recommend a colleague to you.
• If you can't think of someone to speak to straight away, write down 30 of your contacts and then think about who from this list can help you with a good recommendation on your current problem. Feel free to add distant contacts to the list, such as the mother of your daughter's school friend.

Test how good your network is

Test how good your personal network really is: Write the members of a certain group (e.g. acquaintances from your studies, former colleagues or similar) on a large piece of paper. If you don't know a first or last name (or both), put a question mark here. You can use your own address book as an aid, but not lists created by other people such as telephone books etc. Result: The more question marks you find at the end of the list, the more you can improve your own network strategy.

Use special offers from professional networks, platforms and associations for networking. Here you will find contacts to people who are planning or are already doing something similar. The offer is extensive and confusing, some networks only exist virtually on the Internet, others organize regular member meetings and still others are established associations. Some are free, others cost a few euros a month, and some are really expensive.

Use targeted professional associations

Use professional associations and interest groups - this includes the trade union ver.di (for freelancers, verdi.de), the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (ihk.de), the Central Association of German Crafts (zdh.de) or the German Employers' Association (dav -ev.de). Through these associations you get contact to industry-specific associations.

xing.com can also store an extensive profile free of charge (simple membership!) and contact other people. Here you can easily address other people or discuss different topics in different groups with other users. Women can find numerous organizations in the list of members of the German Women's Council (Frauenrat.de).

Professional advisors

You can also buy motivation, depending on what your motivation should look like: On the one hand, there are more personal problems that can arise in the course of the particular stress. These include excessive stress (e.g. because you are constantly exposed to new situations), (existence) fears or personal insecurity.

If the stress gets too strong and your social environment cannot or does not want to help you, there is no shame in getting professional help. There is a wide range of seminars and individual counseling, psychologists, psychological counseling and coaches on the market that specialize in all possible areas.

How do you find suitable advice?

You can get the addresses from the yellow pages, on-site training providers (e.g. the adult education center) or from professional associations such as the Professional Association of German Psychologists (bdp-verband.org), the Association of Free Psychotherapists, Alternative Practitioners for Psychotherapy and Psychological Counselors (vfp. de) or the German Association for Coaching and Training (dvct.de).

In many cases, advice on specific technical problems can be a much more valuable motivation. Free advice, which is offered by chambers, regional start-up initiatives and business development agencies or the employment agencies, can usually only offer initial general help. They are primarily intended for the period before and during the start-up phase. However, if you have been in your special situation for a while, you are faced with very special challenges and need specialist advice tailored to your particular situation, which then also costs something.

Initiatives in which former specialists and executives provide young founders with in-depth advice or long-term support, provide them with know-how and contacts are inexpensive, for example the association Alt helps Jung (althilftjung.de), the senior expert service ( ses-bonn.de) or the business angels (business-angels.de).

Advice on special topics

However, if you are looking not only for experience, but for a professional consultant on a specific topic, you can get an overview of the nationwide range of advice at kfw-beraterboerse.de (click on search). With various options, you can tailor the search to your specific needs.

Ms. M. runs an architecture firm with three employees. Your most important customer j...