It can therefore make sense to strengthen the team with an expert in future-oriented working. He can ensure that work on the next generation gets off to a productive start. That the common focus is really directed outwards, towards the customers and the future - and that new "business insights" are gained. He or she can relieve the CEO or the managing director in the moderation, so that he or she can also concentrate better on the content-related discussion and the relationship work in the team. He or she can draw the round's attention to "blind spots", address the "elephants in the room", uncover hidden potential and introduce new ideas and methods that the team would otherwise only acquire at expensive conferences or in time-consuming training courses.

Mindset first. Progress second.

Together, purposefully and systematically, a new vision of the "Next Generation Business" can be created. An inspiring vision that gives business development an ambitious and new direction - and which is best documented in writing in the form of an "Entrepreneurial Future Mission". In addition to the classic elements of vision, mission and values, the future business model should also be described and the answer given to the question of the meaning and purpose of it all:

• What added value do you want to create for your customers?

• What positive contribution do you want to make to certain people or perhaps even whole sections of society?

• Which of the challenges do you want to tackle that are coming at us at breakneck speed?

What really inspires and motivates - and where is the greatest potential? One should direct one's energy precisely towards this!

Once the new direction is clear - and all those in positions of responsibility are really looking in this direction as a team with inner conviction - the second step is to define the important fields of action for realisation, prioritise performance targets and focus tasks and convey them to the divisions and departments.

By then at the latest, one should no longer be on the road alone with top management. Ideally, all employees from all areas and hierarchical levels who are willing to perform should be integrated step by step. Bundle all positive and productive forces of the organisation in a common future programme - and direct all energies towards the future goal.

The initial energy outlay required for this is certainly worthwhile. Companies benefit in the long term from this joint, holistic and integrating work on the future - in this way they can ensure by their own efforts that they will not fall short of their potential in the future.

Author: Bastian Schneider