For us, as for almost the whole world, 2007 was a year of strong growth. Especially in the early stages of this recession, I myself thought and said that “better times” would soon return. As if we just had to hang on for a while and then we’d be back where we were. After the previous recession in the early 1990s, did we go back to how things were? We didn’t – the change was strong then too. On the other hand, we did return quite quickly to strong growth. This time, according to all the experts, that will not happen.
If companies want to get back to growth, they will have to create it themselves. Economic growth will at some point help us a little with this. The world is now different from 2007 and there is no going back. Structures have changed and will continue to change; there is no alternative but to change with them if you want to stay in the game.
As mentioned in earlier posts, we have launched a very strong development effort. We have set ourselves highly ambitious goals. We want to return to growth quickly. Do we have to grow and develop? Why not just wait, the good times will come. We’ll just coast along and see how long the money lasts. If we did that, when the better times arrived, they probably wouldn’t arrive for us. Development and growth seem to be the only real option.
To put it in sports terms: the defence has to hold, or you won’t win matches. The midfield has to build the play, or you won’t win matches. The attack has to shoot at the goal, or you won’t win matches. Above all, the team has to create scoring chances that lead to goals, or you won’t win matches.
In training we are currently focusing specifically on scoring goals. The conditions on the field – that is, in the world – are not the best possible. They are what they are. It’s nicer to train and aim to succeed now and in the future. We want to be an even stronger team in the future. This is what we are aiming for and how we operate.
Training and competing are fun. Sometimes they also push you out of your comfort zone. That’s how life is in general, too. Life has its everyday routine, but also its celebrations. We should “celebrate” our successes loudly, both in everyday life and on special occasions. This is particularly difficult for us Finns. We carry the heritage of sayings like “too much laughter ends in tears”, and so on. As CEO I have a special responsibility to “celebrate”. Do we all, as individuals, also have a special responsibility to “celebrate”?
New ideas in November.
Let's just move on and "ventilate" occasionally.
Jukka Krogerus
PS. Thanks for the feedback. You can still "vent" or even "feedback" there.
jukka.krogerus@dimex.fi