There is good news for the Swiss labor market in 2023 - especially for skilled workers. The latest data from the Micheal Page Swiss Job Index (December 2022) provides five reasons why job seekers can be optimistic about 2023.

1. Across Switzerland, 8.5 % more jobs advertised compared to the previous year: According to the Michael Page Swiss Job Index, this corresponds to the growth seen in the pre-pandemic period. All regions saw a strong increase in advertised jobs, with the highest growth in the manufacturing regions of Central Switzerland (LU, NW, OW, SZ, UR, ZG) and Northwestern Switzerland (AG, BL, BS). In these regions, growth of +16.7 % and +15.9 % was recorded. Across the board, all regions in Switzerland were able to report positive annual growth.
2. Demand for skilled workers exceeds supply: Many of the job categories grew by over +20 % in 2022. These include categories such as administration, logistics, IT, production and finance. This will further exacerbate the shortage of skilled workers in 2023.
3. Companies create jobs in sales: The more jobs in sales, the greater the expectation of companies that demand and revenue will increase. The number of jobs in sales has increased by +17.3 % compared to the previous year - especially in industries where skilled workers are in demand, such as pharmaceuticals and IT.
4. New job categories are emerging: The energy crisis caused job growth of +30.1 % in the energy sector. Specialty areas such as environmental engineering saw an increase of +19.7 %. A new job category included medical ethics and related law to respond to new developments in the field.
5. Many more local manufacturing jobs: Companies are trying to secure their supply chains. For this reason, the number of advertised jobs increased by over +20 %. The industry thus recorded one of the largest increases.

"Given the strong increase in demand for skilled workers in so many sectors, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about 2023," says Yannick Coulange, Managing Director of PageGroup Switzerland.

Source: Michael Page

The Swiss Commercial Association was founded on April 14, 1873 as a federation of 20 local educational associations (at that time: "Schweizerischer Verein junger Kaufleute"). In 1882, the name was changed to "Schweizerischer Kaufmännischer Verein", in 1977 to "Schweizerischer Kaufmännischer Verband" and in 2001 to "KV Schweiz".

Competence Center for Education and Career

Today, the Swiss Commercial Association is regarded as a competence center for education and careers. It has around 38,500 members, whom it advises on issues relating to their professional careers and whose concerns it represents both at the political level and within the framework of social partnership agreements. As the sponsor or co-sponsor of various professional and technical examinations, it also offers practical training and continuing education. "The central fields of activity of the association included, then as now, the commitment to a modern and forward-looking education, economic and social policy that treats all professionals - men and women, rich and poor, young and old - fairly" explains Christian Zünd, CEO of the Swiss Commercial Association.

150 years of education policy work

Education and lifelong learning are firmly anchored in the DNA of the Swiss Commercial Association, the association writes in its media release on the anniversary. "The success of the commercial apprenticeship, which has been one of the most chosen training programs in Switzerland for decades, is based on its close focus on professional practice and the numerous opportunities for further training to acquire new skills or strengthen those already learned," Zünd said. The introduction of specialized examinations in correspondence, banking and stenography in the 1920s set important pillars for the systematization and feminization of vocational education. This was followed by the differentiation of commercial professional qualifications (higher professional examinations, professional and association examinations) and numerous other educational innovations and reforms. "The year 2023 is doubly important for the Swiss Commercial Association" emphasizes Zünd. "Not only are we celebrating 150 years of association history and our tireless commitment to education and professional policy. We are also looking forward to the launch of the new commercial apprenticeship and are firmly convinced that it will equip young people - today as yesterday - with the necessary tools for the challenges of the future."

Over 100 years of social partnership

Even in its early founding years, the Swiss Commercial Association was committed to resolving social tensions and counteracting unemployment in economically difficult situations. The association also took up the cause of rethinking the Swiss pension system: after the First World War, for example, it joined the "Vereinigung schweizerischer Angestelltenverbände" (VSA). The aim was to promote economic stability and employer dialogue in the face of a radicalizing labor movement. As early as December 1918, the VSA was able to sign the first comprehensive collective labor agreement in Switzerland, thus laying the foundation for a modern social partnership.

"Today, the Swiss Commercial Association represents around 700,000 employees from the banking and insurance, retail, trade, industry, aviation and staff leasing sectors in almost 40 regional and national collective labor agreements. It is committed to fair and non-discriminatory working conditions and to strengthening the individual's ability to work," says Zünd.

Anniversary events 2023

As part of various anniversary events this year, the Swiss Commercial Association is devoting itself to the working worlds of tomorrow and taking a closer look at the social and operational effects of the New Work Culture. What trends are shaping the Swiss labor market? What developments are in store for employees in service and knowledge professions? Which skills will set the pace in the future? In March 2023, the Swiss Commercial Association will also launch its anniversary campaign "buerogeschichten.ch" - an interactive platform that offers a journey through the history of commercial and business administration and shows why the commercial apprenticeship is indispensable for the Swiss education system and business people for the local economy.

Source and further information: www.kfmv.ch

Ukraine war, chip crisis, parts shortage: The Swiss auto market closed 2022, a year marked by severe supply constraints, with a 5.3 percent drop on the already below-average previous year. With 225,934 new passenger cars, 2022 again fell well short of the usual pre-crisis mark of around 300,000 new registrations - the third crisis year in succession after 2020 and 2021. At the same time, a new record was set for the market share of alternative drive systems at 50.8 percent: A good one in two new cars in 2022 was electrified, either as a full, mild or plug-in hybrid, or drove entirely electrically, either with a battery or a fuel cell as the energy source. With a market share of 25.9 percent, half of these vehicles could again be recharged as electric cars or plug-in hybrids via the power grid. The Swiss new car fleet is thus becoming steadily more climate-friendly.

Customers have to wait a long time for ordered vehicles

So after 238,481 new registrations in 2021, another 12,500 or so new cars fell short of this result last year. "The further decline is mainly due to the shortage of components, which massively affected the production and delivery of new vehicles throughout the year," is how auto-schweiz media spokesman Christoph Wolnik sums up the 2022 car year. "From microchips to raw materials to wiring harnesses, whose production in Ukraine came to a temporary standstill due to Russia's attack, numerous supplier products were not reliably available. This prevented a recovery in new registrations after two years of the Corona pandemic and at the same time led to sometimes very long waiting times for ordered vehicles for our customers." The situation improved somewhat in the second half of the year, but the situation is still far from normal, Wolnik added.

Slight recovery in December 2022

The market data for December fit into this picture, with 24,737 new registrations, slightly above the previous year's figure of 24,523 (+0.9 %). However, between 2011 and 2020, the last calendar month of the year saw an average of just over 31,300 enrollments. This level is still more than 20 percent short of new registrations. Based on the fourth consecutive monthly increase, the prospects are good that 2023 will not be another crisis year. In any case, Christoph Wolnik is optimistic: "We expect to carry the momentum into the new year and gradually work off the still high order backlog in the coming months."

Not a crisis year for "plug-in vehicles

The climate should be most pleased with the development of the car market. Because 2022 was another record year for the number and market share of battery-electric passenger cars. 40,173 new electric cars represent a year-on-year increase of 26.2 percent and a market share of 17.8 percent, up from 13.3 the previous year. Plug-in hybrids saw a slight decline in both sales (18,355, -15.8 %) and market share (8.1 %, 2021: 9.1 %), largely due to the focus of many manufacturers on all-electric models in the supply of scarce components. Together, these 58,528 "plug-in" vehicles account for more than a quarter of new registrations for the first time in a full year, at 25.9 percent. Another close quarter, at 24.8 percent, is attributable to hybrids without an external charging option, which accounted for 56,107 registrations (+7.5 %). In addition, there were 122 passenger cars with gas (-56.7 %) and 72 with hydrogen drive (+9.1 %). Gasoline-powered cars continue to achieve the largest single market share of 37.5 percent (2021: 41.9 %) with 84,815 first registrations (-15.1 %), while the 26,286 new diesel cars (-18.9 %) account for 11.6 percent (2021: 13.6 %).

Source: auto-schweiz

T-Systems Switzerland will once again become an independent national company within T-Systems International and as part of Deutsche Telekom from January 1, 2023. The bundling of the business of T-Systems Switzerland and Austria in the Alpine region had set the course for greater efficiency, successful development of the 'Cloud Services' and 'Digital' portfolio units and cross-country know-how transfer in the regional markets since 2019, the company writes. The new autonomy will strengthen T-Systems' Swiss identity and thus enable an even more tailored focus on the Swiss market, while at the same time expanding growth in the DACH region, it adds.

Benefit from proven experience

Thomas Reitze, who has headed the Swiss subsidiary within the T-Systems Alpine regional division for almost three years, will become Managing Director of T-Systems Switzerland, which has become a system-relevant IT and digitization partner for its customers. This strong position is to be consolidated and expanded in the coming years, combined with a clear commitment to the Swiss market and a local presence. The new organization is to benefit from proven experience in the public transport and healthcare sectors, public administration, as well as in the finance and insurance industry and the service sector. "We are setting ourselves big goals in Switzerland and pursuing a long-term strategy," says Thomas Reitze, adding, "Digital transformation is advancing rapidly and opening up new opportunities in every sector. More than ever, therefore, industry-specific consulting services and solutions for digital sovereignty are in demand."

No changes for existing customers

For existing Swiss customers, nothing will change with the reorganization. Thomas Reitze: "I am very much looking forward to working with the great people who work at T-Systems to develop even more specific solutions for our customers in Switzerland and to be a reliable, secure and innovative partner with our European DNA."

Source

The study "National Analysis of Swiss Company Formations 2022" by the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen shows that 49,398 new companies were entered in the commercial register in 2022. This corresponds to a slight decrease of -1.4% compared to the previous year. The 10-year comparison is also significantly higher than the average of the last 10 years at +12.6%.

Zurich as a start-up engine, Uri as a "start-up muffle

There are some regional differences in start-up activity. For example, the greater Zurich region recorded an increase of +1.9% in 2022 compared with 2021. New startups in the greater regions of southwestern Switzerland (-0.3%), Ticino (-0.3%) and eastern Switzerland (-1.5%) are at a high level as in the previous year, with slight differences. In central Switzerland (-4.5%), Espace Mittelland (-3.3%) and northwestern Switzerland (-1.9%), on the other hand, far fewer new companies were founded than in 2021. The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden recorded the largest percentage increase in new companies in 2022 with +12.8 percent compared to 2021, while the canton of Uri saw the lowest drop in the number of founders with -11.1 percent.

Many new companies are founded by women

Founding a company is not just a man's business; women continue to catch up: Meanwhile, 36.6% of all new companies are founded by women alone, as the IFJ's analysis notes. In 9.5% of all new startups, a founding team of women and men is behind it. At just over half, 53.9% of all new firms are founded by men. Thus, 46% of all new registrations involve one or more women - this value is higher than often assumed, says media spokesman Pascal Hollenstein of the IFJ.

Start-ups by industry

The top growth industries in 2022 include Marketing & Communications (+15.9%), Transportation & Logistics (+15.1%), and Healthcare (+11.5%). The Wholesale Trade (-13.3%), Agriculture & Forestry (-12.4%), and Retail Trade (-8.7%) industries show the highest percentage declines. The Transport & Logistics and Marketing & Communication sectors recorded the strongest declines in 2021/2020, which have now been compensated for in 2022. Numerically, the highest number of startups will be in the trades, real estate, consulting and retail trade sectors.

New companies as a sign of a well-functioning economy

Despite geopolitical crises, rising inflation and emerging fears of recession, the Swiss economy still seems to be holding up better than those in other European countries. Private consumption and the labor market are stable, and the unemployment rate is at a record low. Against this backdrop, the IFJ states in its analysis that new companies are an essential component of a well-functioning Swiss economy: Every year, start-ups create around 56,000 new jobs. 13.3% of all employed persons are self-employed. That is around 623,000 entrepreneurs. This puts Switzerland in a leading position in Europe.

Outlook for 2023

Based on current indicators, the IFJ expects a slight decline to a stable high number of start-ups in Switzerland in 2023. If uncertainty factors such as the energy shortage, the Ukraine war or global supply chain problems can be resolved at an early stage, this would also benefit entrepreneurship. The past has shown that in both good and difficult times, founders tackle challenges with their own innovative solutions and a lot of self-determination, writes the IFJ.

Source: IFJ Institute for Young Enterprises

What is greenwashing anyway?

What should I do as a company if I don't want to wash green or blue?

What does green-hushing mean?

Clear regulations against greenwashing

I know very well that the situation is incredibly difficult for many people at the moment. And that's precisely why it's so important to look ahead. Here are three lessons we could all learn from in 2022 that will help us in the future:

Lesson 1: Stable states are an illusion.

The Russian war of aggression is not the only sign that apparent stability is over for the time being. Global turbulence and new challenges in energy supply are just some of the other uncertainties.

Let's not kid ourselves: Uncertainty has always been the normal state. Security is always temporary. This applies to politics and the economy just as it does to relationships, health and everything else. Mankind is also "successful" simply because we are very adaptable.

The past year has once again brutally reminded us of one thing: those who rest on the illusion of security will lose. Those who know that nothing is permanent, on the other hand, can prepare themselves in a completely different way and will have faster and better answers.

Convenience is dangerous - in all aspects of life.

Lesson 2: Mindset makes a huge difference.

We see it not only in the current example of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj, but you can also test it on yourself at any time: the mindset makes the difference.

In 2021 and 2022, for example, I had the best years of my business since its inception. Covid and its aftermath were the impetus to finally bring an innovation push into my business - obviously with success. My mindset was critical to that. Important: Strategies, tactics, decisions and actions always follow beliefs - not the other way around.

For example, when you think of Win If you believe in yourself and in your capacity to find good solutions in any situation, you will usually succeed. I find that fascinating and reassuring.

Lesson 3: Many small steps lead to success.

Sometimes big actions are important. But in most cases, it is crucial to consistently execute many small steps in the right direction.

This reminds me of the boxer in the ring: the many small bounces count. If you act rigidly in big steps, you will certainly be knocked out.

No matter what you want to achieve: especially in uncertain times, it is crucial that you move forward step by step and keep adjusting the path in between. The times of big strategies every 5 years are long gone.

See lessons as impulses for success

I hope that these three experiences will in turn give you some food for thought and wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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

This text was not written by an AI. Until now, such a disclaimer was not necessary, but in the future we may read it more often at the beginning of articles. For a few days now, ChatGPT, an amazingly talented bot from the American startup OpenAI, has been causing a big stir. From Süddeutsche Zeitung to Spiegel Online, almost all well-known publications have dedicated articles to it. It was particularly popular to let the bot write part of the article itself. After all, that is precisely its strength: creating content. And ChatGPT can deliver - from a "Christmas poem starring two puppies" to a "smart post for LinkedIn about the potential of ChatGPT". The results are readable and sound sappy in the case of the Christmas puppies and thoughtful in the case of the LinkedIn post. Only now and then does an oblique wording suggest that the text did not come from a human. On the other hand, oblique formulations can also be found again and again in the texts of people.

What effect does ChatGPT have on the handling of corporate data?

Applications like ChatGPT can trigger far-reaching changes and also have an impact on copyright and the cultural sector. I am particularly interested in what effects can be expected in the short term in companies, especially in the handling of data.

What is impressive about ChatGPT is the range of topics and the quality of the responses. Until now, developers had to go to great lengths to train their chatbots for specific purposes. A chatbot that is supposed to help with problems with the mobile phone contract has no idea about the last Bundesliga match day. ChatGPT, on the other hand, moves confidently on any playing field. The quality of the responses suggests that our search behavior on the Internet will soon be different. In response to the query "Give me five reasons why companies should look into AI applications", the bot does not deliver a list of suitable websites, but a text with five arguments in favor of AI. A text that would not stand out negatively among the vast majority of posts on the subject.

It's easy to imagine how this technology will shake up much of what's attached to search on the Internet - whether it's search engines, search engine optimizing, or the ad business. But not only that. The next generation of our word processors, content management systems or marketing automation tools will include ChatGPT-like features out of the box. The 500-character product description for the online catalog or the five-page dossier for the board of directors could then simply be taken over by a bot.

Where man still has the advantage

Not much time is likely to pass before most companies use such or similar technologies - the potential is too great. In the future, even the websites at the bottom of the structure will shine with compelling texts. And in target groups with several hundred thousand people, every single person will receive a cover letter that exactly matches their individual situation. If all companies use these technologies, the overall level of quality will rise - but that will make it difficult to stand out. At this point, the human contribution is needed again. The art will not be collecting and condensing data - the bot will do that. It will be drawing the right conclusions and deriving the best alternative courses of action. That has always been the decisive point, and it will be even more important in the future.

The actual task is then no longer to list five arguments that have already been published a hundred times in this or a similar way. The challenge is to find the one argument that no one has come up with yet. To recognize the one connection that is not in the database, but in the sudden change of mood at the negotiating table.

Because ChatGPT does not think up new things - the bot always looks backwards. This makes us humans aware of our strength again: looking ahead.

Author:
Prof. Dr. Volker Gruhn is founder and chairman of the supervisory board of the adesso SE. This company is one of the leading IT service providers in the German-speaking region and focuses on the core business processes of companies and public administrations with consulting as well as individual software development.

Accounto is a FinTech company from Zurich with around 30 employees. The company offers fiduciary companies software solutions for the extensive automation of accounting. Thanks to data-based assistance, fiduciaries can generate sustainable financial benefits, process optimizations and industry comparisons for Swiss SMEs, as Accounto writes.

In order to now further strengthen the strategic, industry-oriented development of Accounto, the Board of Directors has recommended the election of Thomas Koller to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. "With Thomas Koller, we are gaining a proven expert in the fiduciary industry for our mission. He complements our Board of Directors in an ideal way and the cooperation has already started," says Alain Veuve, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. And Thomas Koller can be quoted as follows: "I am very pleased about the election to the Board of Directors and am convinced that Accounto will soon be established on the market as an ideal complement to the long-established fiduciary products." In addition to the new member, the Board of Directors of Accounto AG now consists of Alain Veuve (Chairman and Founder), Dominique Kaspar (Vice Chairman), Michael Manz and Alessandro Micera.

In addition to his many years as Chairman of the Board of Directors and overall Head of the Fiduciary & Business Consulting Department at OBT AG, Thomas Koller is President of the Fiduciary & Business Consulting Department at ExpertSuisse. Furthermore, he is a member of various committees dealing with the digitalization of the fiduciary industry. In mid-2022, he also founded his own consultancy, KollerNext AG.

Source: Accounto AG

Things can't stay the way they were: In recent years, there has sometimes been severe turbulence in the Swiss SME sector. Unlike most air traffic turbulence, however, these have not always been harmless, but have made course changes inevitable for long-term business success. Nearly half of employees in Swiss SMEs (47 %) say recent crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have also led to a rethinking of business travel. Not only in terms of security, but especially with regard to sustainability aspects. This is the conclusion of the current 2022 SME study by SAP Concur, a provider of expense and travel reporting systems.

Business travel: More sustainable, but also more expensive?

Further study results show that employees in SMEs have concrete ideas about the introduction of sustainable measures: 54 % of respondents would like to plan appointments strategically so that they travel less frequently but for longer, and 36 % would like greater flexibility in the choice of the means of transport they use for their business trips. Respondents recognize that the more sustainable alternative can often be the more expensive or take more time. They therefore express a desire for their companies to agree to higher expenses or travel costs (38 %) and longer travel times (41 %). If they still have to fly a lot, almost a quarter of employees (24 %) would like their company to pay sustainability compensation for this.

The respondents are aware that it is not always easy to choose the most sustainable means of transport when traveling to work or on business. That's why 38 % of them would like their employers to provide digital tools that already show the most sustainable option when booking business trips.

Flexibility for all distances

There is also an awareness that not only business trips to distant locations, but also the journey to the office or to a customer appointment nearby calls for flexible mobility concepts - especially if it is to be sustainable. Four out of ten respondents from Swiss SMEs (41 %) would therefore like their company to consider sustainable alternatives such as e-cars when planning mobility. 38 % also say they no longer need a company car and instead welcome a flexible car-sharing offer from their employer. Likewise, 38 % would like to have an e-bike. Job tickets for the region are also absolutely desired (37 %).

Three times better: Sustainable employee mobility

Many of the employees in Swiss SMEs would like to see more sustainability in their mobility planning and, at 27 %, almost three in ten say that their company has already introduced new regulations in the past year to make business travel more sustainable. "Many employees are ready to make their mobility behavior more sustainable. Now it's up to the companies to also provide the corresponding mobility concepts. The successful implementation of sustainable business travel programs is a win-win for the environment, employees and the company," says Dennis Torchetti, Head of Switzerland & CEE at SAP Concur. "When it comes to implementing environmentally conscious mobility concepts, digital solutions are the decisive key to success. They offer employees the greatest possible flexibility and at the same time enable transparent and responsible weighing of sustainability aspects and costs."

Source: SAP Concur

The post Business travel: Are companies ready for more sustainability? appeared first on Organizer.

BDO's partners' meeting has appointed Stefan Kühn, a long-time employee, as a member of the Executive Board and Head of Zurich-Eastern Switzerland as of the beginning of 2023. Kühn currently acts as Head of Risk Advisory and Performance Advisory Services and has been with BDO since 2009. During this time, he has further developed the services of the audit, trust, tax and advisory firm for the challenges that the digital world brings to organizations. In the process, Kühn has been instrumental in positioning BDO as an expert in cyber security, blockchain and e-forensics, according to the company. As a member of BDO's Global Leadership Team, Ethics and Compliance Switzerland (ECS) and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts' "Support in Operational and Strategic Matters" expert council, he brings his expertise to bear in a variety of ways. Kühn will remain Head of Risk Advisory and Performance Advisory Services. In the future, he will continue to support his clients in addressing risks associated with fraud and corruption, developing internal control systems and implementing appropriate compliance programs.

Andreas Wyss strengthens cross-border cooperation

After twelve years on the Executive Board, Andreas Wyss will reach term limit at the end of 2022 and hand over his position as well as the management of the Zurich-Eastern Switzerland region to Stefan Kühn. Wyss, who has been with BDO since 1993, will continue to bring his expertise and vast wealth of experience in various audit and consulting mandates to bear for BDO in the future. The certified public accountant and partner will also assume the function of "Head of International Clients & Relationships" as of January 1. As International Liaison Partner of BDO Switzerland, he will continue to be responsible for cross-border work in the BDO network and will increasingly support the regions in the global coordination of their mandates.

Yvan Haymoz takes over the Executive Board seat and Regional Management from René-Marc Blaser

After twelve years as a member of BDO's Executive Board, René-Marc Blaser will hand over the Executive Board seat and the Regional Management of Western Switzerland to Yvan Haymoz as of January 1, 2023, also due to term limits. René-Marc Blaser has made a significant contribution to BDO's strong growth in Western Switzerland for almost 30 years. He will continue to apply his expertise on a selective basis in the context of a number of mandates until the end of June next year; he will leave BDO on July 1, 2023.

Haymoz, already a member of the regional management in western Switzerland, is currently responsible for the branch in Fribourg. Under his leadership, it has grown strongly since 2012, both in terms of sales and number of employees. In the future, he will manage all activities in Western Switzerland while maintaining his strong connection to the Fribourg market, where he maintains a large network.

New branch managers in Lausanne and Fribourg

In the spirit of continuity, the management of BDO in Lausanne and that in Fribourg will be taken over by two employees who have already been convincing with their competencies for many years.
Jürg Gehring will be responsible for the Lausanne branch, Lucien Jordan will become branch manager of BDO in Fribourg.

Source: BDO

When talking to people, we often notice that our messages are received differently by our conversation partners, even though we use the same words. This can have various causes. For example, the interlocutors have different know-how or different interests. Often, however, communication does not work because our partners "tick" differently than we do. Because the value systems of us humans are different. For example, while material success is very important to one person, social recognition is the top priority for another. And yet another wants to experience a lot of new, exciting things above all else.

Thinking and communication styles diverge

These values shape our thinking style, which in turn shapes our communication style. For example, people who evaluate everything primarily from the point of view of "Does it pay off?" usually have a rather logical thinking style. Their communication style corresponds to this. They prefer short, concise statements and love numbers, data and facts. This is different for people who primarily look for the appeal of novelty. They get tired of columns of numbers. This is similar for people for whom human relationships are very important.

What happens, for example, when a manager with a more logical thinking and communication style meets a more relationship-oriented employee? The manager showers the employee with numbers, data and facts. Because she assumes: These will also convince my counterpart. The employee experiences the situation differently. He thinks: "The boss doesn't even ask me how I'm doing. Instead, he throws numbers at me and demands that I work more - as if I've been lazy so far." What the manager actually wants to say doesn't reach the employee at all. Not because the employee is unmotivated or even rebellious - no, the cause is different.

Our brain evaluates what we hear

When someone says something to us, the limbic system in our brain first evaluates this statement. Based on our value system, it decides whether the statement is rather important or unimportant, good or bad, for example. Only then does the limbic system forward the information linked to the relevant emotion to the cerebrum, and we react accordingly. Managers should therefore package their messages in such a way that they are perceived as significant by the limbic system of the respective employee and trigger positive emotions in them.

That is easier said than done. For this, we first need to know the communication and thinking style or the value system of our counterpart. These can be determined with personality tests. But you can't always do such tests. A product developer cannot say to his superior, before he presents his ideas to him, "Boss, first fill out the test, ..." It's the same with salespeople before contract negotiations. They need other tools to decide: I should use this communication style because....

Identify the partner's value system

This (pre)decision is made easier by the fact that certain types are disproportionately represented in most professions. For example, safety plays a major role in the value system of most civil servants. And sales managers usually have a different thinking and communication style than the heads of research departments.

Another indication of the value system of our interlocutors can be the furnishings of their offices. Lots of plants, pictures of loved ones and warm colors indicate a relationship-oriented type. If, on the other hand, there is designer furniture and abstract drawings hanging in the office, then our counterpart is probably an experimental type. An indicator of our partner's value system is not only his language but also the way he greets us: Does he get up from his desk and walk towards us or...? Does he get straight to the point or...? Based on such factors, we can make an initial assessment.

Adapt the argumentation and language style

If we know the preferred thinking style or value system of our counterpart, we can deduce which messages we should place at the center of our speech because they are

• offer him the greatest benefit from his point of view, and
• trigger positive feelings in him.

This assumes that we have identified in advance the core messages relevant to the different types. For a person for whom material gain is very important, this may be the time and cost savings achieved by a solution. And for a person who values security? With her, the argumentation can be aimed at how error-free a machine works.

However, it is also important that we package our messages in such a way that they are received. Let's say you want to convince your colleagues to purchase a certain software. Then, to a more logical thinker, your argument might be, "This software reduces processing time by 30 percent. This will reduce our costs by 15 percent." For an experimental type, it might be, "Imagine production that runs completely glitch-free. We are getting closer to this vision with this software, because ..." With such a type-specific argumentation, there is a high probability that your colleagues will at least consider your proposal sympathetically.

To the author:
Joachim Simon from Braunschweig, Germany, is a leadership trainer and speaker specializing in (self-)leadership (www.joachimsimon.info). He is the author of the book "Selbstverantwortung im Unternehmen" (Self-responsibility in the company) published by Haufe-Verlag and co-founder of the (self-)leadership coaching app Mindshine.