The departure towards a digital, connected future that is currently taking place in a large number of companies should be well considered and must not constitute an end in itself. Such is the conviction of Slatco Sterzenbach, 17 times Iron Man and best-selling writer. In early June, the coach will explain to visitors of the Staufen Management Consultancy’s BestPractice Day in Darmstadt why their implementation of Industry 4.0 is bound to fail if it is launched without clearly defined goals. Goals and desires should always be expressed as a clear vision. Companies must be able to answer the question: where do you want to be in ten years? “If you cannot imagine a steaming cappuccino in your cup, you won’t even switch the coffee machine on”, Sterzenbach explains. Revenue growth alone, however, is clearly insufficient to motivate employees emotionally. “Apple has set a great example for a captivating vision with its motto, ‘1000 songs in a pocket'”, says Sterzenbach. Such visions must, of course, also be based on measurable, realistic and verifiable goals. “Much like a CIP in Lean management, top athletes wonder on a daily basis on which training they should focus today in order to improve”, triathlete Sterzenbach continues. Setting the right goals in a targeted manner makes all the difference between movement and training. “Many people move, but they don’t necessarily improve“, the author explains. Professional athletes, on the other hand, must measure and visualise in order to improve permanently. Sterzenbach, 17-time finisher of the Iron Man competition, also calls for a more open way of dealing with errors within companies. “I would rather have a culture of feedback than a culture of errors. Even an archer who eventually wins the world cup has drawn the right conclusions from 1,000 worse attempts together with his trainer, rather than just focussing on his own inadequacy”, says Sterzenbach. He is convinced that a solid culture of feedback and implementation, as is common in traditional Shop Floor Management, benefits the creativity and job satisfaction of each employee. And this is where we come full circle on the route to Industry 4.0. Because humans will always be a crucial factor in the digitalised world of industry. “More than ever, it is imperative to improve on the frequency and openness of communication in compliance with standardised rules. This applies particularly to executives whose presence on site in the factory hall is a must,” stresses the Wilhelm Goschy, Executive Board member of the Staufen AG Management Consultancy. During his presentation, “The Iron Man strategy: key factors in competitive sports and competitive business”, at this year’s Staufen AG BestPractice day in early June, Slatco Sterzenbach will explain how the way to career and company success can be paved especially during transitional phases. BestPractice Day 2015: The leading Lean management congress in Europe At the BestPractice Day 2015 from 8 to 10 June 2015 in Darmstadt , companies and leading Lean management experts report about their experiences on the path to developing successful value creation systems. A focus this year: Industry 4.0 and Lean. For more information about the event, please visit:
http://www.best-practice-day.com About Slatco Sterzenbach – www.slatco-sterzenbach.com
Endurance, determination and planning are characteristic of Slatco Sterzenbach, born 1967. The accredited sports scientist and author of several best-selling books uses the same strategies that enabled him to successfully finish 17 IRONMAN ™ triathlons (3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling, 42.195 km running) to help businesses succeed.
