The SKO has tradition and weight: founded in 1893 as the "Schweizerischer Werkmeister-Verband", it now has 11,000 members. The association is active throughout Switzerland and is independent of party politics. It sees itself as a competence center for managers in all sectors and offers its members numerous services in the areas of continuing education, career services, legal advice, and financial and insurance services.

SKO Anniversary Event

Within the framework of the 125th anniversary of the SKO with the motto "Leadership - the Swiss Way", competent panelists will address the "Future of Leadership Switzerland". Visit the exhibition and discuss with Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kaudela-Baum, Prof. Christoph Negri as well as the two leaders of the digitalized world, Marc Blindenbacher, Swisscom, and Mathias Brenner, Sherpany, on the topic of "Leadership 4.0 - Everything is changing?".

The only constant is change, not only in the age of digitalization. What is changing for future leadership? What remains the same? Where do employees find orientation and support in complex, dynamic structures? What are the biggest challenges and success factors for today's leaders?

Join in the discussion, network and be inspired by the portraits of the 24 personalities at the subsequent vernissage of the SKO anniversary exhibition, which will show what makes Swiss leadership special. And what is needed to position Switzerland as a country of opportunity in the future.

Program

• 17.30 Admission and welcome drink, opening of the exhibition
• 18.00 Welcome by Peter Scheidegger, Member of the Association Management SKO
• 6.10 p.m. Keynote speeches by Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kaudela-Baum, Head of CC General Management at HSLU and Prof. Dr. Christoph Negri, Head of IAP Institute for Applied Psychology Zurich
• 19.15 Panel discussion with Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kaudela-Baum, Prof. Dr. Christoph Negri, Marc Blindenbacher, Swisscom and Mathias Brenner, Sherpany, chaired by Sunnie Groeneveld
• from 20.00 Vernissage exhibition and networking aperitif

Secure your place now!

There are many reasons why new managers fail to meet the usually high expectations placed on them or even fail in their new position. This is not always due to the suitability of the person. Often, the expectations of the new leader are not clearly communicated. Or the new manager does not correctly assess the framework conditions in the area and sets the wrong priorities.

When managers take on a new leadership position, they usually need new competencies and must expand existing ones. In addition, they have to demonstrate different leadership behavior in some cases due to the changed framework conditions. Therefore, when executives take on a new position, they should rethink their previous understanding of themselves and their roles and, if necessary, readjust their behavior.

One position but many (management) roles

When leading and controlling a company or an organizational unit, six roles must be distinguished - that of the leader, the manager, the entrepreneur, the expert, the visionary and the strategist (see chart 1):

Depending on the hierarchical level and organizational unit as well as the current situation, the importance of these roles for leadership success can diverge. Ultimately, however, every manager must combine them in his or her person to a greater or lesser extent.

The start is often decisive for success in the long term

In the case of management changes, it is advisable to provide coaching to accompany the change of staff - in other words, coaching that provides advice and support to the new manager when he or she takes up his or her new position and how he or she perceives it during the first 100 days or the first year. During the start-up phase, managers are confronted with many new and often surprising questions and challenges. At the same time, they are under particular scrutiny - from their superiors and employees: What is the new person like? How does he act? Can he be trusted and relied upon? That's why the start-up phase is usually crucial not only for the short-term but also for the long-term success of a manager.

A leadership transition coaching process includes the following steps:

• Step 1: Define guidelines for leadership work. In the run-up to the actual leadership change coaching, the coach discusses with the new manager (and ideally his or her supervisor) how the area should develop. For example, should primarily the existing processes be optimized or is a fundamental renewal necessary? The following applies: The greater the need for change, the more the guidelines have the character of a target image or vision, from which the manager must derive the necessary action strategies and steps, alone or with support.
• Step 2: Identify the role requirements. Once the guidelines are clear, it is important to reflect on which of the six leadership roles are particularly relevant for leading the organizational unit. For example, is "the new person" more in demand as an inspiring visionary, as a manager who empowers employees, or as a manager who consistently implements decisions? In addition, what expectations are placed on him or her in terms of agility, creative drive, change competence, etc.?
• Step 3: Analyze strengths and weaknesses. In the actual coaching, the following questions, among others, can then be worked on - also with test procedures:
  > Which leadership tasks or roles do I prefer and avoid?
  > What am I particularly good at, what should I get better at?
  >Where do I lack knowledge and/or experience?
• Step 4: Analyze opportunities and risks. In the next step, an analysis can then be made - based, among other things, on the challenges facing the area:
  > What opportunities and risks does the new management position offer?
  > What challenges will I face?
• Step 5: Develop leadership strategy. Afterwards, challenges as well as opportunities and risks of the new position can be compared with the strengths and weaknesses of the executive and appropriate action strategies can be derived - e.g. with the help of a SWOT analysis:
  > Which of my strengths can I use to seize opportunities?
  > Which minimize the risks
  > How should I enhance my leadership skills to take advantage of opportunities?
  > Which relevant leadership roles and tasks correspond least to my strengths? How can I possibly organize support for this?
• Step 6: Create a plan of action. Based on this, measures can be defined in coaching with the manager and initial steps for implementation can be developed. The action steps are on two levels: 
  personal level:
  > How can I expand my (leadership) competence and acquire new knowledge?
  > What helps me broaden my perspectives and scope of action?
  > Who can I get advice from?
  > What are my values? What do I stand for? How do I make this visible/experiential?
  organizational level:
  > What are the most important fields of action?
  > What changes need to be initiated? What are the first steps?
  > Which contacts should I make or expand?
  > How do I establish a good relationship with my employees? How do I gain their trust?
  > How do I win them over (in the medium term) for upcoming changes and do I take them into (joint) responsibility?

The leadership change coaching process is not a linear one. It takes place in loops in which the coach and the coachee, i.e. the person being coached, repeatedly go through and reflect on the above-mentioned steps as needed: Does the approach meet the company's requirements and the executive's development needs?

Showing the necessary behavioral confidence in everyday life

To ensure that the insights gained in coaching are successfully transferred to everyday management, further measures can be agreed with the manager in which the coach acts as a supporter. For example, a team workshop is usually a good prelude to

• Agree on shared values with the new employees,
• Agree on rules for cooperation and
• Tuning in to challenges.

However, the support provided by the coach should always be geared to the needs of the manager and the department or company so that the overriding goal of the coaching is achieved. This is to strengthen the executive's competencies in such a way that he or she can perform his or her leadership function professionally and successfully from the outset.

The likelihood of this happening is greatly increased by leadership change coaching, because it provides the executive with a reflection and sparring partner as well as impetus and advice in a phase in which he or she is usually still quite uncertain, but at the same time the focus of observation.

About the author:
Gudula Brammer holds a degree in education and is a certified coach (DBVC). She works as a consultant for Machwürth Team International, Visselhövede (www.mticonsultancy.com) with a focus on executive coaching as well as leadership and team development. Prior to that, she worked for several years in the personnel management of a media company in a consulting and management capacity.

Maximilian Schuster took over the Sales division at Dachser (Schweiz) AG, Air & Sea Logistics, on October 1, 2018. In his role as Sales Manager, he and his team look after international customers. Schuster reports directly to Samuel Haller, Country Manager Air & Sea Logistics Switzerland. He has held various positions at Dachser Air & Sea Logistics since 2005, first in Germany, then in the USA, and finally in Switzerland.

Dachser Spedition AG (Dachser Switzerland) is a subsidiary of the transport and logistics provider Dachser headquartered in Kempten, Germany. The first branch office in Switzerland was opened in 1967. Today, Dachser Switzerland is present at nine locations, employs 270 staff, and generated gross revenue of CHF 174.2 million in 2017. In 2017, Dachser Switzerland transported 580,500 consignments.

www.dachser.ch

The conference on October 4 in Bern focused on how technological developments can become a benefit for all. In addition to CSEM research and development experts, notable figures such as Peter Maurer, President of the International Red Cross (ICRC), Klaus Schönenberger, Director of the Essential Tech program at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), and Arturo Vittori, Director of Warka Water, outlined the contours of a more balanced development path.

"The current technological acceleration would have you believe that anything is possible. However, there is a significant exception: that of a more just and peaceful world." Right at the start, Mario El-Khoury, CEO of CSEM and organizer of the "Technologies for a brighter world" conference, set the scene at the Hotel Bellevue in Bern. The goal of the event was to find new ways to make technology work for everyone. Inspiration was provided by numerous projects that are already underway.

Allowing the disadvantaged to participate in progress

"Unfortunately, I don't have only good news," warned Peter Maurer, president of the ICRC. In his speech, he showed the extent to which conflicts are becoming more complex and entrenched, putting more and more people in precarious living conditions. The former diplomat then showed a lesser-known side of the ICRC: the Red Cross is more than aware of the importance of technological advances for its work and its own scope for action. The organization actively embraces these opportunities in order to benefit from them as much as possible. Together with EPFL, for example, it is developing a new generation of prosthetic feet for victims of anti-personnel mines. The aim is to offer a prosthesis at an affordable price.

Of Big Data and Water Towers

The spectrum of "humanitarian" innovations is enormously broad. It ranges from a database to find missing people, to water towers made of bamboo presented by Arturo Vittori, director of Warka Water, to photovoltaic solutions or medical developments from the CSEM. For example, Biospectal, a start-up from Vaud, will use an invention from CSEM to monitor high blood pressure in the populations of Bangladesh, Tanzania and South Africa. This will make it possible to track this invisible disease using a smartphone application. Behind this seemingly simple application is a high-tech solution developed over a ten-year period at CSEM.

Switzerland is predestined to find new models

Development work must be thought of differently! This statement received broad support. EPFL's Essential Tech program supports promising experiments in this context. It has, for example, produced a start-up whose goal is to supply Africa with adapted X-ray equipment. The company, which is backed by both African and Swiss investors, also sees good business prospects for this in the Western world.

Because Switzerland holds all the cards to be a key player in the renewal of models for truly sustainable development. Not only is it at the forefront of innovation and the cradle of the Geneva Conventions, but it is also "a central financial center," recalled Peter Maurer. This, he said, is an indispensable factor in spreading technological advances more widely, improving the daily lives of those who need it most, and thus moving toward the fairer and better world so many hope for.

www.csem.ch

Bruno Aregger has a lot to tell. Due to seemingly "stupid" mistakes, he lost almost his entire fortune as the owner of an SME. He has written down his mistakes and the lessons learned from them in his book "The Good Spirit of Your Business".

Hidden Champions

A lot can happen, especially in the saturation phase of a company. For example, the urge for size is a source of entrepreneurial mistakes. "The more successful a company is, the greater the risk of falling prey to megalomania," writes Bruno Aregger. To prevent this from happening, he recommends taking a cue from so-called hidden champions. They present characteristics such as:

• They are quiet.
• They are inconspicuous.
• They are attractive, but relatively little known.
• They achieve good margins.
• They rarely have problems finding new employees.
• They are absolute specialists in one area (go into depth, not breadth).

Download audiobook now

Protection against megalomania is formed by an authentic value system. You can learn more about this in the chapter "The saturation phase", which can be found here as audio book for download ready

The Swiss job market has been growing almost unabated since 2015 - one sign that the economy is doing well. For example, the Adecco Group Swiss Job Market Index is 6 percent higher in the third quarter of 2018 than it was in the fall of last year. Compared to last quarter, the index remains stable, up 2 percent. Adjusted for seasonal effects, there is an increase of only 1 percent compared to the previous quarter. Nicole Burth, CEO of Adecco Group Switzerland, adds: "Overall, the positive trend observed since the end of 2015 continues."

High demand for personnel in organizational and management professions

After the number of job advertisements in the occupations of management and organization (e.g. business, division, project managers, organization specialists) has risen sharply in the last three quarters, demand remains high in this quarter as well. Compared to last year's quarter, job postings in these professions have increased by 25 percent. "According to the report, Switzerland is currently investing in management and organization. The reason for this could be the increasingly interconnected and volatile business world, where project-based business processes and consequently trained personnel in the professions of management and organization are in demand," explains Jan Müller from the Job Market Monitor at the University of Zurich. "Since new projects often include an important digital component or are accompanied by automation, it is not surprising that the demand for IT personnel has increased at the same time," adds Nicole Burth. Thus, a year-on-year comparison also shows a remarkable increase in the number of job advertisements (+15%) in the IT professions (e.g. programmer, application developer, system engineer). Since the beginning of 2017, a positive trend has been observed in IT occupations. A year-on-year increase can also be observed in industrial and transport occupations (+12%). This quarter's increase is due in part to increased demand for skilled workers in the metal and electrical industries. As number 1 in the Global Innovation Index ranking[1], Switzerland is particularly innovative. Within Switzerland, innovation rates are particularly high in the areas of information and communications technology and the mechanical and electrical engineering industries, among others[2]. "These innovations give us an international competitive advantage, which favors the creation of new jobs in the professional groups of information technology and industry," adds Burth.

Lake Geneva region: peak reached?

Year-on-year growth in the number of job advertisements in the Lake Geneva region is again above average. In the third quarter of 2018, companies in this region posted 21 percent more job ads than in the third quarter of the previous year. However, after three consecutive quarters of above-average growth in personnel demand, a comparison with the summer quarter of 2018 (-1%) now shows that this trend will not continue, at least for the time being. In Eastern Switzerland (+9%) and Espace Mittelland (+8%), the number of advertised vacancies has also grown compared to the corresponding quarter last year. The other regions show only comparatively small changes in the number of job advertisements. The number of vacancies is comparatively stable in Northwestern Switzerland (+4%), Central Switzerland (+3%) and Greater Zurich (+1%).

Compared with the corresponding quarter in the previous year, the Lake Geneva Region demand in the industrial and construction occupations was particularly strong (+64%). This strong increase in industrial and construction occupations has been observed for more than two years. "The increase is partly due to the less strong franc. In the Lake Geneva region, labor demand in these occupations suffered particularly badly in the wake of the 2015 franc shock. However, with the strong increase over the past two years, personnel demand in the industrial and construction occupations has now caught up. In the meantime, the index of the number of vacancies has returned to a similar level as in other occupational groups," adds Jan Müller. The other occupational groups are also in greater demand in the Lake Geneva region: the occupational groups of engineering and IT (+29%), business services (+17%) and personal and social services (+10%) have all seen growth in job advertisements.

Boom Region Eastern Switzerland

In German-speaking Switzerland, demand for personnel in the Eastern Switzerland increased the most (+9%). "Eastern Switzerland reached its low point since the start of comparable measurement (end of 2014) at the beginning of 2016. Since then, the number of advertised jobs has recovered. It is now back at a similar level to the end of 2014," Müller elaborates. The increase in the number of job advertisements compared with the corresponding quarter in the previous year is primarily attributable in eastern Switzerland to an increase in demand for personnel in business services occupations (+16%) and in engineering and IT occupations (+12%).

Source: Adecco

Today, P&I is one of the most important and renowned companies in the HR industry in Europe and positions itself as a Pure HR Company with innovative software for all HR management tasks. In 2012 and 2015, the company significantly increased its market position in the Swiss HR and payroll software market with the acquisitions of Mirus Software AG and Soreco HR AG.

"Concentrated software expertise"

With its latest acquisition of Kriens-based PerSal AG, P&I, which has its Swiss headquarters in Thalwil, is adding an important piece of the puzzle to its current product portfolio in the market segment for companies with up to 500 employees, according to a statement to the media. It acquired the entire share package of PerSal AG as of Oct. 1, 2018. PerSal AG and PerSal Software will continue to operate as an independent company and brand, and the location and employees will be taken over unchanged by the new owners. Fritz Achermann will also continue to be the managing director and will continue the philosophy of PerSal Software as well as the support department, which is known for its quality and reliability, in the same way, the statement continues. "With the merger of P&I, we now have the possibilities to offer a comprehensive and integrated HR solution, in which the entire "HR Life Cycle" is mapped, from applicant management to time recording. Our whole team is delighted about this and we are looking forward to seeing how the Swiss HR market reacts to this concentrated software competence," Fritz Achermann announced on request. Christos Triadis, Managing Director of P&I AG in Switzerland, also draws a positive balance: "Through the acquisition of PerSal AG, we will further strengthen and at the same time significantly expand our position in the HR market." According to Triadis, this step represents a major gain for P&I AG.

Payroll Outsourcing

PerSal AG, which emerged from "Persoline AG", founded in 1994, has made a name for itself through its many years of market experience in the HR and Payroll sector, especially due to its flexible and highly customizable standard software "PerSal" as well as its modular Payroll outsourcing solutions. The Swiss branch of P&I, which was also founded in the 1990s, together with PerSal AG can count over 2200 companies among its HR and Payroll customers. Spread over 4 domiciles, P&I Switzerland employs 72 people. The two managing directors, Christos Triadis and Fritz Achermann, are convinced that the expanded product range and a newly introduced P&I LogaAll-in for Switzerland will be of great added value for existing and new customers.

More information: www.persal.ch

Swiss founders were busy at the beginning of the year. In the first quarter, 11,055 new companies were entered in the commercial register, and in the second quarter there were already 11,225 start-ups, 2.95% more than in the previous year.

August causes pause in start-up boom

The situation was different in the third quarter. A total of 9,704 new companies were registered in the Swiss commercial registers, compared with 9,999 last year. August in particular is responsible for the low figure; with only 2,913 startups, it was the weakest month of the year so far. In the fourth quarter, however, the commercial registry offices are likely to be busy again. Many new registrations are expected especially in December, because that is also when the most companies were registered in 2016 (4,121 registrations) and 2017 (4,200 registrations). This means that entrepreneurs can start the new year with a new company.

GmbH and management consulting

In the third quarter, founders opted for either a limited liability company (38,17%), sole proprietorship (32,23%) or joint stock company (20,24%). Other legal forms such as associations, general partnerships or cooperatives were thus chosen in less than 10% of the cases. The most popular industry was Business/Commercial Consulting with 751 new firms. This was followed by restaurants, cafes & snack bars with 431 startups and the sale and rental of apartments & real estate with 371.

Source: Moneyhouse

388 engineers received their Bachelor of Science FHNW diplomas on Friday, ranging from electrical engineering to industrial engineering. At the same time, 32 students also completed their Master of Science in Engineering MSE. In the field of computer science, it is striking that eight out of 19 iCompetence graduates are women. Thus, the trend towards more female computer science graduates at the FHNW School of Engineering continues.

Success story iCompetence

Increasing the proportion of women in engineering and computer science courses is a long-term goal of the FHNW School of Engineering. Eight years ago, it developed the profiling iCompetence, a study program that combines computer science with design and management. "By setting current topics, the profiling has gained a new audience for computer science," says Prof. Sarah Hauser, head of the computer science program, "in recent years, this has enabled us to significantly increase the number of female computer science students in particular."

Women just as successful as men

In terms of performance, there are no gender differences during studies: "The success rate is the same for women and men," says Sarah Hauser, although she has noticed the good grades of female students this year. Among the top students of the year, two women are at the top with the best grade point average.

High proportion of female lecturers

Like the composition of the students, that of the lecturers has also changed in recent years. There are currently 17 women teaching in iCompetence. Mixed teams - especially among the lecturers - are an integral part of the culture in the study program.

Diploma awards for excellent performance

17 diploma students were honored for their outstanding achievements with the coveted diploma prizes as well as the Siemens Excellence Award.

www.fhnw.ch/technik

Two companies that could not be more different are teaming up: on the one hand, the traditional company Biella, on the other hand, the young start-up company with PostFinance participation tilbago. The goal of the two companies is to create a comprehensive solution for SMEs in the debt collection process. Biella acts as an expert in the area of analog order and tilbago engages with its expert knowledge in the area of online debt collection.

Around 3 million debt collection proceedings in Switzerland

Hardly any entrepreneur is spared having to record a loss of receivables. In particular, there are dangers in not consistently enforcing receivables. Word quickly gets around about which creditors, for example, write off smaller claims instead of asserting them through the legal process. Although around 3 million debt collection proceedings are initiated every year, many SMEs are afraid of legal debt collection. On the one hand, this is because debt collection leads to additional expenses, and on the other hand, because it can be a laborious and lengthy process.

Order in the documents and overview in the process

With the newly developed debt collection folder, companies have their debt collection under control, as Biella and tilbago promise. The two partners are combining their know-how and linking the analog and digital worlds. The workload for the user is reduced. Thanks to the predefined 6-part index in German or French, the creditor has all important debt collection documents clearly arranged per case and always at hand. In addition, the printed debt collection process according to SchKG gives him the necessary overview during the debt collection procedure. As soon as the creditor has entered his case online at tilbago.ch, tilbago informs him when he needs to take action in the debt collection process - be it legally prescribed activities, responsibilities of debt collection offices or legally prescribed deadlines.

The new folder is manufactured entirely at Biella in Brügg near Biel. This means that a complete SwissMade product is available from development to production.

Source: www.biella.ch and www.tilbago.ch

On October 1, 1968, Ruedi Jaisli founded the company R. Jaisli & Co. - initially as a pure electrical installation company with ten employees. Today, the company has grown into an electrical company with around 400 employees. Its specialties include electrical installations, switchgear construction, service/customer support, building systems technology, photovoltaics and telematics. Jaisli-Xamax AG also enjoys great importance as an apprenticing company: 70 apprentices are currently being trained.

Anniversary duly celebrated - and new appearance

On June 23, a celebration was held at the headquarters in Dietikon: A barbecue brought together clients, project partners, employees and, as guest of honor, company founder Ruedi Jaisli. But not only that: The company is also taking the anniversary as an opportunity to give itself a new image. A new corporate design was developed with a Zurich graphics agency. The staff newspaper "Brilli's News" also has a new look: the color concept has been retained, but the typeface and look have been completely redesigned. The online presence of Jaisli-Xamax AG was also revised and made even more user-friendly.

Four apprentice ambassadors

For the first time, four apprentices from all occupational fields - electrician, installation electrician, automatic fitter, businesswoman - will report as ambassadors about their apprenticeship at Jaisli-Xamax AG. The ambassador and the three ambassadors offer prospective apprentices exciting insights into their everyday apprenticeship life. Prospective apprentices learn first-hand more about the apprenticeship and benefit from the experiences of their colleagues. With this measure, the company wants to promote direct exchange between young people. Another aim is to increase the proportion of women in electrical professions. This is to be achieved, among other things, through experience days on the subject of electricity at elementary school, in order to get more girls interested in this field.

More information

Recently, a member of the management team of one of my clients asked me how he should react when his boss falls asleep during the meeting and other colleagues also demonstrate disinterest. I didn't have to think long for the answer, as this phenomenon in a similar (sometimes less blatant form) is not at all uncommon in SMEs. (Note: in this case it is hardly due to the boring topics). Here's my counter question: "How would you react among friends if something like this happened?" The answer is easy: "Make a joke about it." Or: "Go up to the person, give her a good slap on the shoulder and say something like 'Well, partied too long again last night?'"

The things we do among friends...

It's amazing: what don't we do among friends? We have fun, we trust each other, we give honest feedback, we forgive each other, we fight together for our dreams, and we look forward to spending time together. And when we work together on goals that are important to all of us, an incredible energy and passion can unfold. I don't know about you, but I can still remember times like that.

Here comes the point: Why don't we actually act the same way during our work? Why do we too often switch to another program as soon as we are at work? Of course, there are many reasons to do just that, and to view our work as an un-friendlich, to see a foreign environment. And therefore to do exactly the opposite of what we would do among friends.

Create a "friendly" environment

The good news: you can change that. Here is the counter program (i.e. how you can create a friendenvironment):

1. Projection. Think of your colleagues, your managers, and your customers as longtime friends: How would you greet them in the morning? Would you be casual and informal? Would you make a sympathetic comment? Whatever: do just that at work!
2. Humor. Seriousness for hours rarely suits the way friends interact. Instead, friends laugh together. Bring fun and humor to the office! We are people, not machines.
3. Trust. Assume for a moment that you can fully trust your colleagues. Then behave accordingly. There is simply no reasonable alternative to this (except forced labor).

Your working time is valuable life time, and a considerable amount of it. You can choose whether to spend it among "strangers" or friends. Your decision radiates to those around you.

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch